WW2 German propaganda 1 Pound Bank of England note dropped over North Africa - very good condition
The Wehrmacht propaganda section (OKW/WPr) produced an imitation of the 1940-48 pink and blue one pound note, serial number H86D729630, signed "Peppiatt." For years it was believed that this was a copy of the British green one pound note. However, close examination of the background indicates a diamond pattern at the top and bottom that is found on the pink and blue note. The Germans apparently printed this parody in the wrong color.
All evidence points to the Luftwaffe dropping these notes in November and December of 1942 over a 200-mile area of Northern Egypt that included Cairo, Alexandria and El Alamein. On the back is the following eleven-line message in Arabic:
Signs of Disintegration. If you inspect this banknote, you will remember the time when it was worth ten times its present value in bright shiny gold. That was because at that time the strength and riches of the mighty British Empire supported such notes. But that greatness is fading as is the value of this worthless piece of paper. What is this note worth today? You certainly know the answer to that. With each passing day of this British inspired war, the strength of the Empire is depleted. Each battle that England loses causes a further weakening of their currency. The day draws near when even the beggars in the street will refuse the British banknote, even as a gift. Truly, Allah wills the collapse of Britain, which will surely come to pass.
Some translators have stated that the Arabic is poorly written and the note contains both typographical and grammatical errors. One Arab scholar who studied the note said "While not full of errors, it is definitely written in a stilted, dictionary style that would not be expected from an Arab. There are a few outright errors, and some dangling expressions. The style is schoolbook rather than colloquial or fluent." There are rumors that British "Tommies" passed these notes in Egyptian bazaars until the Arab shopkeepers caught on.
