5 Bahts (5 บาท), Bank of Thailand, Thailand, 1934 (Pick 23)

This 5 Bahts note was issued in Thailand by the Bank of Thailand, dated 1934. It belongs to the Baht (1897-date) currency system. Issuing authority and period recorded in the catalogue: Phra Pok Klao (Rama VII / Prajadhipok) (1925-1935). It measures 155 × 85 mm and is printed on paper. The Standard Catalog of World Paper Money lists the type as Pick 23.

Obverse: Dark brown print; red dates and serial numbers; black signatures. Bust of King Rama VII front-facing on the left. The Emerald Buddha Temple in the Grand Palace, Bangkok. Garuda on top-left above the portrait. Three-headed-elephant Airavata on bottom right corner. Denomination in Thai numeral on top-right corner and in Arabic numeral bottom-left corner. Scripts: Latin and Thai. Its lettering reads “รัฐบาล สยาม / ธนบัตรนี้เป็นการชําระหนี้ตามกฎหมาย / ห้าบาท / รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงการคลัง / THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY LIMITED, LONDON.”. Translation given in the catalogue: “Government of Siam This banknote is legal tender Five Baht Minister of Finance”.

Reverse: Dark brown print. Exterior perspective of Phra Samut Chedi Temple. Denomination in Thai numeral on top-left corner and in Arabic numeral on top-right corner. Inscription of penalty for counterfeiting banknotes on the center bottom. Scripts: Latin and Thai. Its lettering reads “โทษฐานปลอมหรือแปลงธนบัตรคือจำคุกตั้งแต่สิบปีถึงตลอดชีวิตและปรับตั้งแต่ / พันบาทถึงหมื่นบาทหรือพันเท่าราคาธนบัตรปลอมแล้วแต่จำนวนไหนจะมากกว่ากัน / THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY LIMITED, LONDON.”. Translation given in the catalogue: “Penalty for counterfeiting the banknote is ten years up to life imprisonment, and fined thousand up to ten thousands Baht or thousand times of that counterfeited notes depends on which is higher.”.

The note was printed by De La Rue (Thomas de la Rue; Thomas De La Rue & Co.; TDLR), London, United Kingdom (1821-date). Watermark: Three-headed elephant. Signatures recorded for the type: Chaophraya Sridhamadhibes (CS) (Minister of Finance); Phraya Manavarajasevi (PM) (Minister of Finance). Issue date recorded in the catalogue: 22 November 1934. Identification note: match the value, issuing bank, printed date and Pick number together; dates and signature combinations distinguish sub-varieties, which are not separated in this entry. Details follow the Numista catalogue entry and the Standard Catalog reference it cites; they have not been checked against a central-bank archive.