Banknote Billet Syrian Arab Republic 25 piastres 1942

This 25 piastres banknote, also designated as a quarter of a Syrian pound, was issued on 1 August 1942 in Syria, under the reference of series C. It is part of the particular historical context of the Second World War, a period during which Syria was under French mandate, administered by the Free French Forces following the Syria campaign of 1941.

The issue of this banknote in 1942 reflects the specific economic and monetary conditions of this period of political transition for the country. The denomination in piastres bears witness to the monetary system then in force in Syria, where the Syrian pound was subdivided into 100 piastres. This 25-piastre note thus represented a quarter of a Syrian pound, an intermediate denomination within the hierarchy of available face values.

The bilingual designation of the note, mentioning both 25 piastres and the quarter pound, is characteristic of the monetary practices of the region during this period, facilitating commercial exchanges by offering two simultaneous value references. Series C makes it possible to precisely identify this issue within the overall production of this type of banknote, with each series corresponding to a distinct numbering range.

This fiduciary document holds considerable numismatic interest, particularly due to its precise issue date of 1 August 1942, a relatively rare mention on banknotes which generally display only the year of issue. This distinctive feature makes it a direct testament to Syrian monetary practices during a pivotal period in the history of the Near East.