The Allan and Janet Woodliffe Collection of Medals Relating to the Reconquest and Pacification of the Sudan

Khartoum Siege Money, a rare first issue 100 piaster note bearing Gordon’s personal signature and his stamp as Governor-General of the Sudan, linen backed, about extremely fine £200-250

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Allan and Janet Woodliffe Collection of Medals relating to the Reconquest and Pacification of The Sudan 1896-1956.

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When Khartoum was invested Gordon only had about £40,000 in the city treasury, and as the months wore on he found that he would be unable to pay his troops, or pay for confiscated supplies. Ever the practical man, Gordon decided that he would print his own money, essentially promissory notes, to be redeemed in Cairo in six months. Gordon said in his Journal ‘In these paper money notes I am personally responsible for the liquidation, and any one may bring an action against me, in my individual capacity, to recover the money, while in the orders it might be a query whether they (the authorities of Cairo) might not decline to pay the orders’. He was taking quite a gamble. The notes were designed by the Pasha himself and printed in 10 denominations. The first of the notes bore Gordon’s own signature, but as the quantity printed increased, a hectograph signature was introduced. When the city fell the notes were of course worthless to the Mahdi, and those found were dumped in the streets or burned. However, some did make it out of the city, and eventually to Cairo, where true to form, the Egyptian Government did not want to honour them. Eventually following political pressure, some were redeemed - but most not until 1892, and some not until after the turn of the century. Redeemed notes bear various official stamps on the reverse.