Description
Philippine Guerilla Money of World War II
On 7 December, 1941, the Japanese bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor; the next day, they invaded the Philippines, a key American ally. Upon taking the country, the Japanese issued their own currency, declaring that existing money was not longer valid—one of many harsh measures that turned the Filipinos against them. A guerilla campaign waged by Philippine freedom fighters—and supplied by the U.S. via submarine—wreaked havoc on the occupying forces.
With physical money in short supply, guerilla fighters in the field and local governments in free provinces printed emergency currency—peso notes of various denominations printed on a hodgepodge of makeshift presses with whatever paper and ink could be obtained—on the authority of President-in-exile Manuel Quezon, whose likeness appears on some of the notes.
The notes in this set were printed by and circulated in various provinces of the Philippines during the Japanese occupation. Included are issues of Bohol, Cagay, Iloilo, Luzon, Misami, Negros, and Mindanao.
During the Japanese occupation, possession of guerilla money was forbidden on penalty of death; entire villages could be subject to harsh retribution if these notes were found in any quantity. Their ubiquity even in the face of reprisal is a testament to the courage and indomitable spirit of the Philippine people.–Guaranteed Genuine–These notes have been inspected and are guaranteed genuine.
