10 Shillings - George V Treasury issue; 2nd series

There are variations on how the serial numbers are represented.

Notes with prefixes A–M, A1–M1, and A2–C2 were printed by Thomas De La Rue (TR2a–TR2c). Those with prefixes N–Z and O1–Z1 were produced by Waterlow & Co. (TR3a–TR3b).

In early May 1915, banknotes were required by the British Expeditionary Forces for use during the Gallipoli campaign, as no Allied military canteens were established in the Dardanelles region. To enable troops to purchase supplies from local civilians, Treasury notes were therefore overprinted locally and issued to the forces. These became informally known as the “Dardanelles” notes.

The overprint consisted of two lines of Arabic text: the first reading “Piastres silver 60”, and the second, a repetition in words: “Piastres silver sixty.” However, an unforeseen complication arose — Allied troops were unable to make meaningful contact with local Turkish merchants due to ongoing hostilities, and the notes saw little or no circulation in the theatre of operations.

It is also believed that these notes were handled primarily by senior officers, as the typical private soldier earned just six shillings per week — well below the denominations of ten shillings and one pound in which these notes were issued.

Due to their limited use, fragile paper, and wartime conditions, very few examples survive today. Most of those that do remain are heavily worn, often bearing creases, tears, or missing sections, making high-grade specimens extremely rare.