Are You A Queen Elizabeth II Banknote Collector? Share Which Are Tough, What Ones You Need, Etc.

Very interesting. I hope some day you are able to acquire your own examples for your collection. Thank you for sharing the images, even if they are not your own, as they serve a broader purpose of this topic.

MALAYA & BRITISH BORNEO:
These notes, like Malaya, Sarawak or Straits Settlements, are completely north of my budget. So once again, I'm left with posting an image of a note from another site. Like the BEP of the USA, these notes reached high $10,000 denominations. To get a better overview of this short, very difficult Board of Commissioners QEII series, check out the Bank Note Museum below:
http://www.banknote.ws/COLLECTION/c...F%20CURRENCY
All of the QEII notes are issued on 21st of March 1953.

P-1 ONE Dollar:

This bright orange & red note with blue frame has the queen on the right facing left. It has not too difficult to find these in circulated grades but much more challenging for the UNC examples. It was replaced 6 years later, in 1959, with a more generic, smaller sailboat design.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note202268.html

P-2 FIVE Dollars:
This larger, green & yellow note, has similar design elements as P-1. It is very tough to find in high grades.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note214919.html

P-3a,b TEN Dollars:
This red & yellow note has 2 colour variations, a red on green under print & b brown on yellow under print. The 2 versions look similar at first glance but on closer inspection, one sees definite differences (on the ONE counter to the left of QEII, for example). SCWPM never documented the 2 versions so it would be a good idea to be careful to note which if you manage to score one.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note214920.html

P-4a,b FIFTY Dollars
This larger dark, navy blue denomination also has dual colour variations. Block A/1 to A/09 have a blue-grey colour on the reverse while Block A/10 & up have just blue on back.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note214921.htmlTh

P-5 ONE HUNDRED Dollars
This Bradbury/Wilkinson high denomination is purple with yellow/pink under print. The note's design stands out. It also happens to be the last denomination that resembles the rest of the 1953 series.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note214922.html

P-6 ONE THOUSAND Dollars
This big purple on white note looks more like an old prized stock old stately national bond. It looks as big as a placemat & will cost a pretty penny.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note214924.html

P-7 TEN THOUSAND Dollars
This top green on white denomination is much like P-6. I'm sure that neither P-6 nor P-7 seen much circulation as they were more likely reserved for bank-to-bank transactions.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note214927.html

MALTA
From 1949-1951, Villa Guardamangia in Pieta, Malta, served as the residence for Princess Elizabeth & Prince Phillip before Elizabeth ascended the thrown. This may be the reason we see early 1949 Maltese banknotes with the QEII portrait:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Guardamangia
To get a better grasp of the former "Government of Malta" issue vs the "Central Bank of Malta," it would help to view the Bank Note Museum:
http://www.banknote.ws/COLLECTION/c...20II%20Issue

1949 Government of Malta:
Two denominations, the 10/- & £1 carry over the King George VI design elements with a small portrait of the princess. Both are printed by TDLR.

P-23a,b TEN Shillings
This lime green 10/- has two signature versions a for "Cuscheri" & version b for "Shepherd." Both are scarce but the b version is even more difficult to obtain in any grade.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note213567.html

P-24a,b ONE Pound
This rusty brown £1 has the same design elements as the KGVI issue with George's Cross on the left and the portrait of the princess on the right. The back looks similar to the GB reverse (shield). Just like P-23, this note has 2 signatures & each seem just as challenging.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note233141.html

1963 Government of Malta:
In 1963, the government of Malta employ Bradbury Wilkinson to print a more elaborate banknotes. They use the popular portrait featured in the 1965 Eastern Caribbean series.

P-25 TEN Shillings
The George's cross is moved to the centre of the 10/- & we see more colours in the under print plus a primarily brown border on this green note. A harbour scene has been engraved for the reverse. Soler is the only signature.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note233140.html

P-26 ONE Pound
The £1 is identical to P-25 but still has the rusty brown colour & a larger format. Soler is the lone signature version & like all "Government" notes is tough to source.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note233142.html

P-27a,b FIVE Pounds
The navy blue £5 was introduced two years before P-25/26 so that it has the Shepherd (a) signature from the earlier series. Either it or the b (Soler) signature will be tough to acquire in better grades.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note233143.html

1967 Central Bank of Malta:
In 1964, Great Britain grants Malta its independence. In the next few years, preparation must have been made for the formation of the Central Bank of Malta.

P-28 TEN Shillings


In 1968 a red 10/- appeared that had a design like P-25, but a different signature & a "CENTRAL BANK OF MALTA" title. It is much easier to source this note than the 2 earlier "Government" versions.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note218160.html

P-29 ONE Pound


This 1969 note has a greenish brown tinge to it so once again, other than the basic designs, many changes have occurred (compared to the "Government" version). It is also much easier to source but gets tougher in the higher grades.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note204580.html

P-30 FIVE Pounds
This "Central Bank of Malta" version of P-27 £5 has lost the blue colour of the earlier version & is more grey with some purples. Once again, this note is much more accessible than the blue P-27
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note233144.html

MAURITIUS
A tiny set of islands 1000km east of Madagascar, lies the nation of Mauritius. Like Malta, they start early with the "Government of Mauritius" & end with the "Bank of Mauritius" QEII 1967 series. They have a longstanding history of QEII notes & if you'd like to further see the various denominations, their designs, check out the Bank Note Museum:
http://www.banknote.ws/COLLECTION/c.../MRS/MRS.htm

1954 Government of Mauritius
Bradbury Wilkinson print this initial series featuring QEII on the right and a circular window (for the watermark) on the left. A different scene is featured on the 5, 10, 25 & 1000 Rupees (with each denomination increasing in size).

P-27 FIVE RUPEES
There are 5 signature variations to this mainly blue 5 Rupees denomination. The first has Hinchey & Hurvais signatures, the 2nd has Wilson & Hurvais, the 3rd has "Bates & Hermans," the 4th has "Greig & Hermans," & the last combo was "O'Brien & Blackburn." All are equally tough in higher grades but the last signature is very scarce.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note272075.html

P-28 TEN RUPEES
This red & white 10 Rupees has 4 signature variations "Bates & Hermans" is missing. The first 2 are the same as P-27 but the last 2 signatures are "Greig & Blackburn" & "O'Brien & Blackburn." The last is just as scarce as we see for the 5 R.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note272077.html

P-29 TWENTY-FIVE RUPEES
The green 25 Rupees has 3 signature variations. The first 2 are the same as P-26/27 but the last is "O'Brien & Blackburn." It is likely the only time you'll see this signature if you're lucky enough to find an example.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note272079.html

P-29A ONE THOUSAND RUPEES
The purple 1000 R is pretty scarce as that was a lot of money back in the day. Few people could afford to keep one as a souvenir. Anyway, to see one, check out the Numista link:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note272080.html

1967 QEII Bank of Mauritius
Thomas De La Rue (TDLR) took over producing banknotes in 1967 & created a nice set of notes with a similar colour scheme but added colours & more complicated designs. The reverse engravings all reflect scenes typical of the rich floral & fauna of Mauritius.

P-30a,b,c FIVE RUPEES


Finally, the SCWPM take note of the various signature varieties with the b version (pictured) being the toughest of the 3. The last signature c is by far the most common & these outnumber both a & b combined. There are also tough 'Z' prefix replacements for a & c. This attractive blue 5 Rupee has a sailboat on the reverse.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note215381.html

P-31a,b,c TEN RUPEES
This red & white denomination is exactly like P-30 when it comes to tough varieties (look for either a or b). It is easily attainable in top grades (compared to the "Government" series).
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note210002.html

P-32a,b TWENTY-FIVE RUPEES
This green & white mid-denomination has only 2 signature variations with the early a version being only slightly more elusive than the b version. A farmer driving an ox & cart with plantations & mountains in the background can be seen on the reverse. Once again, the 25 Rupees isn't too tough to find in high grades.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note239296.html

P-33 FIFTY RUPEES
This largest purple 50 Rupees replaced the 1000 R from the previous "Government" series. It is like P-30/31 in that it has 3 signature variations but the first (a) happens to be the scarcest variety with a mere 500,000 issued.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note201779.html

New Zealand
We know we're just about completed all the QEII nations when we come to New Zealand. There's just 6 more countries (if we count the various Rhodesia versions as 1). New Zealand is a small country but not as small as GB'd territories, the recent 'M' countries & most Caribbean islands. Collecting the early notes with QEII portraits is much like collecting Canadian banknotes (very accessible/doable for the lower denominations much tougher as the denominations get higher). The nation's conversion to the dollar didn't occur till 2 years after the Caribbean nations (Bahamas, ECS) & 1 year after Australia, in 1967. Check out the Bank Note Museum for an overview:
http://www.banknote.ws/COLLECTION/c...llar%20Issue

1967-1981 QEII Dollar Issue:
The young portrait of QEII is on the front right & each denomination features a bird native to the country. The ONE & TWO are basically brown & white with a splash of under print for the TWO. The notes get much more colourful (& larger) as the denomination increases (but they also get very tough to acquire in higher grades).

P-163a,b,c,d ONE Dollar:


The first a version of this lowest denomination appears with the "Flemming" signature & is the toughest of them all (issued for 1 year & with limited prefixes). The b version with the "Wilks" lasted 7 years, while c(Knight) went for 3 & the last d (most common), with "Hardie" went for 4 years. There are replacements with the Knight & Hardie signatures.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note202557.html

P-164a,b,c,d TWO Dollars:
The slightly larger $2 has a similar roll out as P-163 but with LESS # issued & as a "workhorse" can be tough to source (especially the first short-lived a signature variety). It also has 2 replacements found with the last 2 signature variations (c & d).
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note202549.html

P-165a,b,c,d FIVE Dollars:
This larger, orange-red $5 gets tougher still to acquire in higher grades & the a "Flemming" variety will cost you the most. It had 2 asterisk replacement prefixes released for the c Knight signature & this note can be expensive.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note202550.html

P-166a,b,c,d TEN Dollars:
The $10 has black borders & light blue, elaborate under print (to set it off from P-163 & P-164). It also features the mountain lily & Kea bird on the reverse. All 4 versions can be tough but the a (Flemming) variety & the b (Wilks) asterisk replacement will be the toughest.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note202496.html

P-167a,b,c,d TWENTY Dollars:
The green-tinged $20 is a tough note to find in high grade. No replacements were issued but the a (Flemming) version will be elusive enough.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note210519.html

P-168a,b ONE HUNDRED Dollars:
This dark red $100 only had the two: the "Flemming" a variety & the "Knight" b type. Both versions can be tough to source & expensive to acquire in higher grades.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note210548.html

1981-1992 QEII Issue:
The young QEII portrait is replaced by a more mature version in this series which adds a $50 note with a Morepork Owl onthe reverse. The designs (& colour schemes) are essentially the same as the 1st version except that the $10 appears slightly more purple with emphasized green under prints.

P-169a,b,c ONE Dollar:
This note comes in 3 signature variations. The first a version employs the "Hardie" signature from the first issue. The b version is "Russell" & the c version is "Brash." All three are fairly easy to come by with the exception of the Hardie replacement.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note206303.html

P-170a,b,c TWO Dollars:


As you can see this $2
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note206303.html

P-171a,b,c FIVE Dollars:


The $5 is fairly easy to acquire. Above is an example of the b Russell replacement.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note205603.html

P-172a,b,c TEN Dollars:
The $10 may be a bit tougher than the lower denominations.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note205605.html

P-173 TWENTYa,b,c Dollars:
The $20 can be a bit tougher (especially the "Hardie" a version)
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note210522.html

P-174a,b FIFTY Dollars:
This orange-red $50 can be tough to find in higher grades. Only the Hardie & Brash signatures were released.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note210536.html

P-175a,b ONE HUNDRED Dollars:
This dark red $100 can be tough for the 2 a & b versions. Only the Hardie & Russell signatures were released.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note210549.html

-Thanks! & Yes, their designs are very progressive, yet capture the natural beauty of the country. The 1990 Commemorative $10 & the 1992-1999 issue is very popular too. This $5 P-177 acknowledges Sir Edmund Hillary:



The $20 P-179 continues to acknowledge QEII with a mature portrait keeping with the times:

and the image of Karearea in front of the mountains is very dramatic.

RHODESIA & NYASALAND
According to wiki, "Between 1953 and 1963, Southern Rhodesia was joined with Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland." The new country only lasted briefly & issued currency for 5 years. Oddly enough, these were dated every single time they were issued so there could be 20-30 issues per year (like in 1960).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodesia

1956-1961 Bank of Rhodesia & Nyasaland

P-20 TEN Shillings:
This note looks similar to the Southern Rhodesia's P-12 & P-16 except the front is less segmented (no panels) & the reverse- replaces a Victoria waterfall scene for a panoramic landscape. The 10/- markers are in the corners & there is an image of an eagle landing to the left. One signature (Governor) replaces "Member" & "Chairman."
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note304098.html

P-21 ONE Pound:
This greenish £1 looks almost identical to Southern Rhodesia's P-13 & P-17 except for the "Bank of Rhodesia & Nyasaland" title, pinkish orange under print & an image of a leopard below the right oval window. The reverse image of the Great Zimbabwe Ruins remains the same.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note201810.html

P-22 FIVE Pounds:
This blue £5 looks very similar to Southern Rhodesia's P-14 & P-18 except for the "Bank of Rhodesia & Nyasaland" title, a lighter greenish-blue under print & an image of a sable antelope below the right oval window. The reverse image of Victoria Falls has been radically redesigned. The new version embeds the scene over the entire note while the older P-18 version wedged the falls scene between 2 oval windows. Overall, the note's design is much less segmented than the Southern Rhodesia £5 rarity.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note233439.html

P-23 TEN Pounds:
This £10 is far more similar to Southern Rhodesia's P-16 except for the "Bank of Rhodesia & Nyasaland" title. These notes have such similar designs that I had to reexamine their images several times before I could spot a few differences (besides the title). The biggest difference is the image of the lion & the tree behind it. Bradbury Wilkinson's first design shows mostly the face (head) while their 2nd version includes the body & the lion looks to the left slightly. The reverse image of elephant herd appears to be identical.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note280541.html

All of the 4 denominations have either Governor Graffety-Smith (a) or Governor Richards (b) signatures. I don't believe that owning 1 over the other makes much difference except for the £10 which appears to have had a very short run of the b (Richards) signature.