Lot 2273

Description

Troopship Card Currency, issued on the M.S. 'Sobieski' (Gdynia-America Shipping Lines, Ltd.) for one penny, Serie C, XI 1943, 'Redeemable only during the voyage for which issued' No. 4986 (Sutherland cf.273 [p.193-4]. Nearly very fine and very rare.

Together with a signed statement by an IBNS member 'I obtained this MV Sobieski 1d note, Serie C XI 1943 direct from the serviceman who kept it as a souvenir. He stated that he had trooped on the MV Sobieski in 1943 from Port Taufig to Bombay (23/9/07)'. In order to meet a shortage of metallic currency on troopships conveying New Zealand troops to Egypt in 1940, a series of coloured 'New Zealand Currency' cards were printed on board the ships for various denominations.