Basically, I was wondering does anyone know anything about this money? Is it just military currency? Why are some in English and Japanese?
Back-story: My uncle game me this money as a gift from a friend who fought on Iwo Jima and broke open a safe in a tunnel system there and found all this weird currency.
The first one with the Mt. Fuji is 50 sen. This is the first Japanese currency to feaure the iconic Japanese landmark. The 50 sen paper currency was first introduced in 1917 for five years discountinued in 1922 and re issued in 1938. Yours with that design was issued in from 1938-1942. The new design is the of the Japanese 50 sen one you have below it. Further Reading
The design with the large gate was printed from 1942-1945. On the obverse (the front, what you have pictured) is the Daiichi Torii, the Great Gate to the Yasukuni Shrine. On the reverse of it is Mt. Asahi. Further reading
Both these notes feature are instantly recognizable from Japan because of the Standard of the Emperor that was put on all Japanese homeland currency.
The little blue note is easily recognizable as Allied currency because of its size. Here is a side by side of all Allied occupational currency all of them 8x7 cm. Of course there were other denominations and sizes as well. The small size and small face value of the note make it a favorite among collectors but as one would imagine massive amounts were printed and today they are not worth much.
10 Centavo note in English is from Japanese occupation of the Philipines. The note was first issued in 1942 along with 1,5 and 50 centavo and 1,5 and 10 peso note. Production of centavo notes was limited to only that year. The Philippine government issued its own paper currency while in exile but the Japanese outlawed possession of them.
World War II Remembered: History in Your Hand, a Numismatic Study by Fred Schwan
The 10-centavo note there in the upper right is a pretty good example of the currency the occupying Japanese government used in the Philippines. That's why it's in English.
The letter description and the actual banknotes makes very little sense together.
The ten centavos banknote is, as many have already pointed out, from the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Wartime issue.
The two banknotes depicting Mount Fujiama and the Yasukuni Shrine are wartime issued Japanese banknotes.
However, the last one, the 50 sen banknote is not produced by the Japanese but is post-war Allied printed occupation money for Japan.
Now, I'm not doubting your uncle but it could be that your uncle's friend pulled a fast one on your uncle and told him a made-up story. Why there would be a safe containing (beyond the actual sen notes) Philippine occupational banknotes that were seen as worthless by the Japanese themselves and banknotes that wouldn't be produced until after the war, I don't know. Unless it's a time travelling safe.
