Duress banknotes from Hong Kong in 1941 were emergency paper money that the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) bank staff were forced to sign and release by the occupying Japanese military in 1942.
This banknote was prepared by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company for issue in 1937, but remained in bank vaults until the onset of World War II in the Pacific.
The Japanese seized unissued vault stocks to buy war supplies, creating an unbacked, illegal currency that HSBC later chose to honor after the war to restore public trust.
For the $100 denomination, notes dated 1934 & 1937 were issued, within the serial number range of B485,001 to B650,000.
These notes lacked legal backing or statutory coin/reserve requirements at the time of release. Residents and merchants accepted the illegal HSBC duress notes over forced Japanese military yen because they trusted the bank far more than the occupation army.