This 10 Rupees banknote was issued between 1942 and 1944 during the Japanese occupation of Burma in World War II. It was part of the emergency currency issued by the Japanese Imperial Government for use in occupied territories.
The obverse features stylized Japanese imperial design elements, with the denomination prominently printed in Burmese and English. A palm tree appears in the center, symbolizing the tropical Southeast Asian region, framed by decorative scrolls and printed using a mix of brown, olive, and red tones.
The reverse is typically blank or contains minimal markings, as was common with many emergency occupation issues. The note is printed on thin, low-quality paper without advanced security features. There is no watermark and no security thread, and numbering was often done with black overprint ink.
This note measures approximately 150 x 75 mm and is catalogued as part of Japan’s wartime occupation currency issued for Burma under the abbreviation “B” on the note face.
Obverse
Coconut palm tree on the left and right with Lare green ‘X’ and Ananda temple on right
Scripts: Chinese (traditional, seal script), Latin
Lettering:
1 The 1
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT
BS X TEN RUPEES BS
内大
1 臣臧 府政國帝本日大 1
Lettering (regular font):
1 The 1
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT
BS X TEN RUPEES BS
内大
1 臣臧 府政國帝本日大 1
Translation:
Minister of Finance
Imperial Government of Japan
Reverse
Guilloches
Script: Latin
Lettering:
10 10
10 TEN RUPEES 10
10 10 10
Watermark
Quatrefoil watermark
Features
| Issuer | Myanmar |
|---|---|
| Period | Japanese occupation (1942-1944) |
| Type | Standard circulation banknotes |
| Years | 1942-1944 |
| Value | 10 Rupees |
| Currency | First Rupee (1937-1944) |
| Composition | Paper |
| Size | 160 × 76 mm |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Demonetized | Yes |
