Djambi – The serial letter combinations on the yellow notes issued in 1947 and 1948.

By Rob Huisman and Hans P. van Weeren

From 27 December 1947 to 20 May 1948, emergency paper money was issued in the Djambi residence by the Indonesian republican authority. All notes carry the description “Coupon Penukaran” (exchange note), indicating the temporary character of the emergency notes.

After the first Dutch ‘police action’, the distribution of centrally issued money (initially printed in Pematang Siantar and later in Bukittinggi) had become difficult and money scarcity occurred locally. As a result, the Indonesian republican authority issued emergency money in Sumatra on a large scale after the middle of 1947.

During the period September to November 1947 a first series of paper money was issued on white paper with manual and stamped signatures. The following emissions are known:

1 rupiah, 17 September 1947  (H-564)

½ rupiah, 24 October 1947 (H-565)

½ rupiah, 28 November 1947 (H-567)

2 ½ rupiah, 24 October 1947 (H-566)

2 ½ rupiah, 28 November 1947 (H-568)

5 rupiah, 17 November 1947 (H-569)

10 rupiah, 17 November 1947 (H-570)

These notes show a large variety of signatures and serial numbers.

A second series of notes was issued during the period December 1947 and May 1948, printed on paper with a yellow background color. The design of these notes is less primitive than the first series.  The only one signature – of the republican resident – is now printed.

A striking feature of this second series is the consequent use of five or six stamped serial letters. The system used has been unclear for a long time. In 1998, Adi Pratomo (Rupiah The Journal, No. 5, September 1998, pages 35 and 36) discovered that a limited number of combinations were used:

Notes with 5 letters:

ANZMY    NAMZZ

BOYLW     OBLYX

CPXKU      PCKXV

DQWJS      QDJWT

ERVIQ        REIVR

FSUHO      SFHUP

GTTGM     TGGTN

HUSFK      UHFSL

IVREI         VIERJ

JWQDG     WJDQH

KXPCE      XKCPF

LYOBC      YLBOD

MZNAA   ZMANB

Notes with 6 letters:

AbNZMY    NoAMZZ

BcOYLW    OpBLYX

CdPXKU     PqCKXV

DeQWJS    QrDJWT

EfRVIQ       RsEIVR

FgSUHO     StFHUP

GhTTGM    TuGGTN

HiUSFK      UvHFSL

IjVREI         VwIERJ

JkWQDG    WxJDQH

KlXPCE (1) XyKCPF

LmYOBC    YzLBOD

MnZNAA   ZaMANB

1 KlXPCE is not observed, however KeXPCE is known. Possibly the letter ‘e’ is used to avoid confusion between the letter ‘l’ or the number ‘1’.

Obviously a number of alphabets were used in different sequences. Maybe individual letters from a stamp box were used. It is possible that the combinations were applied as a security measure. It is a fact that notes with letter combinations outside the array always appear to be fakes when examined closer.

When observing the letter combinations of a large number of yellow Djambi notes, it becomes clear that – apart from the above mentioned – the letter combinations seamlessly continue from one denomination to the next.

Below is an overview of the know combinations and the likely sequence of the not yet observed combinations. The observed combinations are in black, and the assumed but not yet observed combinations are in red. The not yet clear transition of the serial letters of the 2 ½ rupiah is marked in blue.

Where applicable it is mentioned which combinations occur with numbers printed with a numbering machine having a number height of 5 millimeters or 5 ½ millimeters.

1 rupiah, 31 March 1948 (H-574)

ANZMY

BOYLW (highest observed number 051469)

1 rupiah, 1 April 1948 (H-577)

BOYLW (lowest observed number 058363)

CPXKU

2 ½ rupiah, 27 December 1947 (H-571)

ANZMY (2)

BOYLW (2)

CPXKU (2)

DQWJS (2, 3)

ERVIQ ?

2 Numbers 5½ mm high: ANZMY, DQWJS

3 Numbers 5 mm high: BOYLW, CPXKU, DQWJS

2 ½ rupiah, 20 May 1948 (H-578)

ERVIQ ?

FSUHO

GTTGM

HUSFK

IVREI

JWQDG

KXPCE

LYOBC

MZNAA (4)

4 There are large quantities of this combination available on the collectors market.

5 rupiah, 27 December 1947 (H-572)

ANZMY (5)

BOYLW (6)

CPXKU (5)

DQWJS (6)

ERVIQ (6)

FSUHO (6)

GTTGM (5)

HUSFK

IVREI

JWQDG

KXPCE (5,6)

LYOBC (6)

5 Numbers 5½ mm high: ANZLMY, CPXKU, GTTGM, KXPCE

6 Numbers 5 mm high: BOYLW, DQWJS, ERVIQ, FSUHO, KXPCE, LYOBC

5 rupiah, 31 March 1948 (H-575)

This 5 rupiah note has two different types.

A. Text above the signature on the obverse: “Residen N.R.I. Djambi” (first type)

MZNAA

NAMZZ

OBLYX

PCKXV

QDJWT

REIVR

SFHUP

TGGTN

UHFSL

VIERJ

WJDQH

XKCPF (highest observed number 00355)

Fake: MWFSL

B. Text above the signature on the obverse: “RESIDEN N.R.I. DJAMBI” (second type)

5 letters:

XKCPF (lowest observed number 06459)

YLBOD

ZMANB

6 letters:

AbNZMY

BcOYLW

CdPXKU

5 rupiah, 20 May 1948 (H-579)

DeQWJS (7)

EfRVIQ

FgSUHO

GhTTGM

HiUSFK

IjVREI

JkWQDG

KeXPCE (8)

LmYOBC

MnZNAA

NoAMZZ

OpBLYX

PqCKXV

QrDJWT

RsEIVR

StFHUP

7 There are large quantities of this combination available on the collectors market.

8 KlXPCE is not observed, however KeXPCE is known. Possibly the letter ‘e’ is used to avoid confusion between the letter ‘l’ or the number ‘1’.

10 rupiah, 27 December 1947 (H-573)

ANZMY

BOYLW

CPXKU

DQWJS

ERVIQ

FSUHO

GTTGM

HUSFK

IVREI

JWQDG

KXPCE

LYOBC

MZNAA

Fake: BOULW

10 rupiah, 31 March 1948 (H-576)

NAMZZ

OBLYX

PCKXV

QDJWT

REIVR

SFHUP (9)

9 There are large quantities of this combination available on the collectors market.

25 rupiah, 20 May 1948 (H-580)

ANZMY (10)

BOYLW

CPXKU

DQWJS

ERVIQ

FSUHO

GTTGM

HUSFK

IVREI

JWQDG

KXPCE

LYOBC

MZNAA

NAMZZ

OBLYX

PCKXV

QDJWT

REIVR

SFHUP

TGGTN

10 There are large quantities of this combination available on the collectors market.

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The authors would appreciate to receive additional information. They can be reached via rob@papermoney-indonesia.com