Seri Thai Banknotes

Continuing from our previous article on the Seri Thai movement during World War II, where we explored the origins, activities, and legacy of the movement, we now delve into another fascinating aspect of Thailand's wartime history – the Seri Thai banknotes. These banknotes served as a symbol of resistance and economic warfare against Japanese occupation, representing the determination of the Thai people to assert their sovereignty in the face of foreign domination. In this article, we will discuss the Seri Thai banknotes, including, brief history, distribution, designs, numbers issued, prefix range, and other interesting information, marking a tool of resistance during one of the most tumultuous periods in Thai history.

The Seri Thai Movement

The Seri Thai Movement, also known as the Free Thai Movement, emerged during World War II as a clandestine resistance movement against the Japanese occupation of Thailand. Led by prominent figures such as Pridi Banomyong, the movement aimed to resist Japanese influence domestically and support the Allied war effort. Through sabotage, intelligence gathering, and propaganda dissemination, the Free Thai Movement played a crucial role in undermining Japanese control and preserving Thailand's independence. Anyone interested in a more detailed history of the movement can take a look at our previous article.

Why Were Seri Thai Banknotes Made?

The production of Seri Thai Banknotes or Free Thai Banknotes which are also called British counterfeits served several strategic purposes for the resistance movement. Notably, this tactic was not unprecedented, as other nations had utilized similar methods to disrupt enemy economies. For instance, Nazi Germany attempted to disrupt the British economy with "Operation Bernhard," involving the printing of near-perfect counterfeit currency of Great Britain.

Unlike the Germans during Operation Bernhard, the Free Thai Movement supported by the British had significant advantages. The Germans faced challenges as they had to locate engravers, printers, mix inks, manufacture paper, and watermarks. In contrast, the British had a significant advantage – they had access to Thomas De La Rue, the British company that originally printed the money they wanted duplicated.

As this World War 2 resistance paper money was of the same quality and very similar to the official issue, it could easily be used by the Seri Thai groups giving them additional sources of funds. These funds supported intelligence gathering, sabotage, and support for guerrilla fighters, strengthening the resistance effort against Japanese occupation. The circulation of Free Thai Banknotes aimed to disrupt the Japanese-controlled monetary system in Thailand, mirroring similar efforts made by other resistance movements. In addition, the banknotes were also used by the Allied Forces.

Apart from economic objectives, Free Thai Banknotes also served as a powerful symbol of Thailand's sovereignty and independence. By issuing their currency, the Free Thai Movement asserted Thailand's legitimacy as a nation resisting foreign domination, echoing the broader goals of the resistance movement.

Distribution of Seri Thai Banknotes

The distribution of Seri Thai Banknotes was conducted through clandestine channels:

Underground Networks

Operatives of the Free Thai Movement distributed banknotes through underground networks, including resistance cells, sympathetic merchants, and individuals opposed to Japanese rule.

Propaganda Drops

In some cases, Free Thai Banknotes were dropped by Allied aircraft as part of propaganda campaigns, aimed at boosting morale and undermining Japanese authority.

Cross-Border Channels

Some Free Thai Banknotes were smuggled into Thailand from Allied-controlled territories, bypassing Japanese scrutiny at the borders. It is reported that in addition to being used by the Seri Thai members and the local public, Indian units of the British Army used the notes in southern Thailand. The notes were also found on the Lao border in northeast Thailand.

The Intriguing Incident of 1946

In 1946, a fascinating incident involving the Seri Thai banknotes emerged. Local Thai officials of Hat Yai, a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border, received 500 Baht worth of banknotes from the British Military Headquarters, suspected to be counterfeit. Inspection by the Bank of Thailand revealed that the notes, although appearing genuine, bore duplicated group and serial numbers of Thai government-issued currency. The signature appeared slightly different from the officially issued notes. Clarification was sought from the British Embassy in Bangkok and Thomas de la Rue.

The British Embassy clarified that during the war, they had ordered Thomas de la Rue and Company to reprint Thai banknotes for military advantage. These notes found their way into circulation, even used by the Seri Thai resistance forces. While Thomas de la Rue also confirmed that they had indeed printed the banknotes.

The above led to the Ministry of Finance issuing announcements that such banknotes which were not officially issued by the Government of Thailand were not legal tender and that anyone who obtained them honestly could exchange them at the Bank of Thailand or a Provincial Treasury from 15 January 1947 until 1 June 1947, and also providing the prefix and serial numbers range.

Info of the Seri Thai Notes

The design of the Seri Thai banknotes is based on the design of the official Series Four Issues with the title "Government of Siam" with slight differences that will be discussed below.

Catalog Numbers

The Pick Catalog or the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money only listed the official pre-war government issue, while the Banknote Book by Owen W. Linzmayer listed both the official government issue and British counterfeits (these notes are locally referred to as Seri Thai banknotes or Thannabat Seri Thai).

The Pick and Banknote Book (Siam chapter) numbers of the official Government of Siam issues are as follows:
1 Baht - Banknote Book B244a and B244c; Pick 30 or P30
5 Baht - Banknote Book B245a; Pick 32 or P32;
10 Baht - Banknote Book B246a; Pick 34 or P34

While the Pick Catalog did not list the British counterfeits, the catalog numbers of the British counterfeit issues in the Banknote Book are as follows:

1 Baht - Banknote Book B244b and B244d
5 Baht - Banknote Book B245b
10 Baht - Banknote Book B246b

Printer

Like the official issues, these World War Two resistance currencies were also printed by Thomas de la Rue and Company. Due to this, the British counterfeits or the Seri Thai banknotes are very similar to the official issues. They are so similar that during the 1980s when information on the differences was very limited, a leading Thai banknote dealer who was not aware of the differences mistakenly sold some 10 Baht Seri Thai banknotes to a prominent collector.

Denominations

The official issue has denominations of 1 Baht, 5 Baht, 10 Baht, 20 Baht and 1000 Baht. The 100 Baht was printed but never issued. The Free Thai notes only had denominations of 1 Baht, 5 Baht, and 10 Baht. The lower denominations were chosen as counterfeits that could easily go unnoticed.

Signatures

The banknotes have the signature of the Minister of Finance only. Both the official issues and the Seri Thai issues bear the same signatures.

The 1 Baht note has 2 signature varieties, 1. Chaiyot Sombat and 2. Praditmanutham. While, the 5 Baht and 10 Baht notes only have 1 signature variety, i.e. Praditmanutham. Luang Praditmanutham is the noble title of Pridi Banomyong.

For the Paditmanutham signature, there is a noticeable error in one Thai character (i.e. ธ). It is largely believed that it is this difference that the officers of the Bank of Thailand saw while inspecting the British counterfeits.

Common Features of the Notes

Issuer: British Government / Seri Thai Movement
Printer: Thomas de la Rue and Company
Reverse Design: Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall in Bangkok
Material: Paper
Security Thread: None
Watermark: Constitution

One Baht Note

Denomination: 1 Baht
Size: 110 x 60 mm
Colors: Blue and green
Obverse Design: King Ananda Mahidol (King Rama VIII), Royal Garuda emblem, Pra Samut Chedi temple, and Airavata elephant (three-headed elephant)
Main text: Thai text meaning "Government of Siam", "This Banknote is a Legal Tender" and "One Baht"

Variety 1
Signature: Chaiyot Sombat
Catalog Numbers: Banknote Book B244b; Pick Unlisted

Variety 2
Signature: Praditmanutham
Catalog Numbers: Banknote Book B244d; Pick Unlisted

Five Baht Note

Denomination: 5 Baht
Size: 135 x 76 mm
Colors: Purple and green
Obverse Design: King Ananda Mahidol (King Rama VIII), Royal Garuda emblem, Pra Pathom Chedi temple, and Airavata elephant (three-headed elephant)
Main text: Thai text meaning "Government of Siam", "This Banknote is a Legal Tender" and "Five Baht"
Signature: Praditmanutham
Catalog Numbers: Banknote Book B245b; Pick Unlisted

Ten Baht Note

Denomination: 10 Baht
Size: 147 x 87 mm
Colors: Brown
Obverse Design: King Ananda Mahidol (King Rama VIII), Royal Garuda emblem, Mahakarn fort, and Airavata elephant (three-headed elephant)
Main text: Thai text meaning "Government of Siam", "This Banknote is a Legal Tender" and "Ten Baht"
Signature: Praditmanutham
Catalog Numbers: Banknote Book B246b; Pick Unlisted

Key Differences from the Official Issue

Knowing the key differences is very important as this will help collectors buy or obtain the correct variety they are looking for.

As mentioned above, an error in one Thai character (i.e. ธ) in the signature is certainly a difference. However, as the difference is very slight, this can be difficult to notice especially if the note is well used or the signature is smudged.

There is a subtle difference in shading between the official issues and British counterfeits. Amongst the differences, this may be the most difficult to notice.

There are also differences in the title in the Thai script "Ratthaban Siam" or Government of Siam in the top center just below the Garuda. There are also minor differences in the word "รัฐ" or Rath but this is a little difficult to see without having actual notes to compare. The most noticeable difference is the spacing between the letters าม in สยาม (Siam). In the triangle formed between the letters, the official issues have a smaller triangle and 3 shading lines within the triangle, while, the counterfeit issues have a slightly larger triangle and 5 shading lines within the triangle.

Please refer to the above image to see the differences with the word Siam. It may be difficult for a beginner to notice the differences so a magnifying glass or a loupe would be helpful.

Number of Notes Printed and Issued

Based on the information that the Thai Government obtained from Thomas de la Rue, the following amounts were printed:

One Baht notes: 1,500,012 notes
Five Baht notes: 1,300,012 notes
Ten Baht notes: 126,000 notes

According to the British Embassy in Bangkok, the following amounts were issued to the British military to pass to the Seri Thai resistance forces and the Allied forces:

One Baht notes: 25,350 notes
Five Baht notes: 46,127 notes
Ten Baht notes: 15,672 notes

Thus, the total value of notes issued was 412,705 Baht. Banknotes of 42,162 Baht remained with the British Military Accountant and had been destroyed. The denominations were unknown. Therefore, the value of notes put into circulation is 370.543 Baht. Such a low number explains the scarcity of these banknotes.

Prefixes and Serial Numbers Printed

The prefix and serial numbers are placed at the top front making it easily noticeable. Each note has a fractional alphanumeric prefix (i.e. alphabet on top and numeral below) and a 5-digit serial number in red color. The combination on the left uses the English alphabet and Roman numerals, while, the combination on the right uses the Thai alphabet and Thai numerals. The prefix corresponds to the denomination. The Government of Siam 1 Baht banknote issue uses the prefixes A and B. The 5 Baht banknote uses the prefix K, while, the 10 Baht banknote uses the prefix N.

The British counterfeits or Seri Thai paper money has duplicate prefixes and serial numbers as the official issue. According to the Bank of Thailand based on the information obtained from Thomas de la Rue, the prefix range and serial numbers printed that follow a certain pattern are as follows:

One Baht

A5, A66, A92: 00001 to 41667
A16, A24, A75: 10001 to 51667
A32, A49, A80: 20001 to 61667
A10, A64, A94: 30001 to 71667
A27, A36, A78: 40001 to 81667
A2, A57, A81: 50001 to 91667
B7, B59, B88: 05001 to 46667
B34, B67, B98: 15001 to 56667
B43, B51, B95: 25001 to 66667
B19, B28, B72: 35001 to 76667
B3, B77, B89: 45001 to 86667
B27, B48, B93: 55001 to 96667

Five Baht

K1, K4, K7, K11, K13, K22: 00001 to 46429
K5, K16, K18, K21: 10001 to 56429
K6, K17, K23: 20001 to 66429
K10, K15, K20: 30001 to 76429
K8, K12: 40001 to 86429
K3, K7, K14, K19, K24: 46430 to 92858
K2, K4, K9, K11, K25: 53572 to 100000

Ten Baht

N3, N6, N12: 00001 to 07000 and 60001 to 67000
N1, N10, N14: 20001 to 27000 and 70001 to 77000
N4, N7, N9: 30001 to 37000 and 90001 to 97000

As mentioned above, even though many notes were printed, very few numbers of these were issued to the British Military. It is not known whether the remaining notes have been used for other secret purposes, locked away in Great Britain's government vault somewhere, or were destroyed. The mystery remains.

Conclusion

The narrative of Seri Thai Banknotes extends beyond mere symbols of resistance and sovereignty; it delves into the complexities of wartime economies and covert operations. These British counterfeit notes, bearing duplicated group and serial numbers of genuine Thai currency, were intended for use in disrupting Japanese control and aiding resistance efforts. The 1946 incident in Hat Yai brought to light the existence of these counterfeit banknotes. Without this discovery, the story of the British reprinted Thai banknotes might have remained an obscure footnote in history.

Today, these wartime counterfeit banknotes are highly sought after by collectors and historians alike. Their scarcity and the intricate story behind their creation and use make them fascinating relics of a bygone era. They serve as tangible reminders of the complex interplay between resistance movements, economic strategies, and the broader context of World War II.