Banque de l’Indochine, French Somaliland, specimen 20 Francs, 1945, serial number A.1 0072, Borduge and Baudouin signatures, red manuscript SPECIMEN on reverse, perforated PAYE, staple holes at top right, in PMG holder 55, about uncirculated, quite rare, as well as a low serial number
BNB B127as1, Pick 15 £400-£600

Ex. Dabbah collection

This is the Dabbah plate note p.226. Type II specimen . The second type is issued notes with serial numbers which had been turned by the Bank of Indo-China in Djibouti into specimen notes; the notes were presumably taken from the the reserves of the new issue when they were delivered in 1944-45, probably the first hundred of each denomination which in the absence of true specimens were required for reference purposes for Bank staff and for presentation to officials. The notes were perforated PAYE (paid). This accounted for the notes on the bank books. The notes were also stamped Specimen (in French not overprinted). This stamp quite often on both sides of the note, sometimes only on one side. The cashier number responsible for stamping the notes is also present. The word Specimen is in red in manuscript style and varies in style according to cashiers. Most notes of this type tend to be in uncirculated grade. The notes of that type are of the first 100 notes.(refer to Dabbah pp199-200). The note was part of the World War II emergency series printed by Emil Pikovsky Zincography in Jerusalem on behalf of the Government Printer of Palestine.