red overprint on a Bank of China 5 Yuan note from 1941, light creases, small tear upper margin, serial number B027875_x000D__x000D_This note was issued as an emergency measure during World War II. When the Japanese army attacked Hong Kong on Decemeber 8, 1941 and overwhelmed defenders on the main land, the remaining British forces retreated to their colony at Hong Kong Island. While undersiege, there emerged a shortage of coins and $1 banknotes; the shortage of banknotes developed when the Japanese distributed leaflets warning that all notes over $10 would be worthless after the Japanese took over the colony. Luckily, a stock of the bank of China 5 Yuan noteswere discovered at a commercial press in North Point. These notes were overprinted "HONG KONG GOVERNMENT $1" and released for circulation on Decemeber 13, but were in circulation for just a short time. On December 18, the Japanese succesfully invaded Hong Kong, and after extensive fighing, the allied forces surrended to the Japanese on Christmas day 1941. These notes were in circulation for less than two weeks. After the war, the leftover stock of unissued notes was found and destroyed, so these notes have become a rareity.