By KLTV Newsdesk –

Rare WW2 forgeries and original £5 notes reveal the hidden story of Nazi economic warfare and the prisoners forced to create it

Original counterfeit banknotes produced during the Second World War’s Operation Bernhard, alongside genuine £5 notes from the 1930s and 1940s, are now on display at Holocaust Centre North.

The collection has been donated by Scarborough graphic designer and avid banknote collector Andy Taylor, bringing to light one of Nazi Germany’s most secretive and ambitious attempts to undermine the British economy.

A secret Nazi operation to destabilise Britain

Operation Bernhard was initiated by the German government in 1942 as part of a plan to flood Britain with forged currency and weaken its financial stability, ultimately aiming to help Germany win the war.

At the heart of the operation were 143 skilled Jewish prisoners, selected for their expertise in engraving, painting, photography and other specialist artistic abilities.

They were transferred from various concentration camps to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp near Berlin, where they were confined to Blocks 18 and 19 and forced to produce counterfeit banknotes under the supervision of SS Major Bernhard Krüger.

Life inside Sachsenhausen’s forgery blocks

Prisoners were kept strictly isolated from the wider camp population to maintain secrecy.

Despite their conditions, survivor accounts describe a strange and contradictory existence within the forgery operation.

Survivor Jack Plaper describes how they were given more leniency than other inmates and were allowed to smoke.

They also had Sundays off and could go to bed when they wanted, when their workday was over.

They were, however, certain they would be killed for their knowledge of such a top-secret operation, and they constantly feared for themselves and their relatives. Most however, did survive.

High-quality forgeries and acts of quiet resistance

Initially intended to be air-dropped over Britain, the forged notes proved so convincing that they were instead used to fund Nazi intelligence operations.

Around £100,000 in counterfeit currency was even used to help finance the 1943 Gran Sasso Raid, which freed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

Despite their circumstances, prisoners found ways to resist.

Survivor Adolf Burger describes a subtle act of defiance: prisoners would deliberately pierce the top left corner of the notes through the effigy of Britannia, where “none of the King’s subjects would ever allow themselves to pierce”.

The operation was eventually exposed after a cashier in Tangier identified the counterfeit notes, sending shockwaves through the Bank of England.

According to the Bank of England, these counterfeit Operation Bernhard notes continued to appear in circulation until as late as 1964.

At the end of the war, large quantities of the forged currency were dumped into Lake Toplitz in Austria, where they remained hidden until 1959.

From childhood fascination to historical preservation

The donation of these artefacts to Holocaust Centre North reflects Andy Taylor’s lifelong fascination with banknote design and history.

As a child growing up in Yorkshire, his interest began during a visit to York with his parents, where he was captivated by the appearance of old currency.

That early curiosity developed into a career in graphic design and an extensive international collection of both genuine and counterfeit banknotes from the 1930s and 1940s.

As public interest in Operation Bernhard has grown, including its recent appearance in the latest Peaky Blinders film The Immortal Man on Netflix, the value of such notes has increased significantly.

However, Andy chose not to profit from them. Instead, he donated part of his collection to ensure the history behind them is widely shared.

Speaking on the collection, Andy said: “I saved up a year for my first historical note after seeing it in an antique and collector’s shop in York.

“At first, it was the look of the notes that drew me to them and to start my collection, but as my collection grew, so too did my fascination in their back stories and in the parts of history that they were connected to.

“I have read so much about the Jewish men who were forced into slave labour in the camp to make these notes.

“I feel very strongly that more people should have the chance to see them, so they too can learn the stories behind them and keep their memories alive.

“To me, the banknotes are not about profits; they are about people.

“I am very proud and delighted to donate them to the Centre, which is dedicated to preserving history and telling the story of which this Operation was a key part.”

A centre preserving survivor histories

Holocaust Centre North, based at the University of Huddersfield, was originally founded as the Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association, bringing survivors together in mutual support.

It later expanded its mission to focus on remembrance, education, and promoting a more inclusive society grounded in shared humanity.

The Centre cares for a wide range of artefacts donated by survivor families, preserving stories of survival, resilience, loss and rebuilding lives.

These collections form a vital part of its archive and educational work.

Exhibition now open to the public

The Operation Bernhard counterfeit notes are currently on display alongside the Centre’s permanent exhibition Through Our Eyes, which is based on testimony from Holocaust refugees and survivors.

Both exhibitions are free to visit. The Centre is open Monday to Thursday from 10 am to 5 pm.

Andy Taylor will also speak with Hannah Randall, Head of Learning at Holocaust Centre North, in May and showcase his wider banknote collection.

More information and details about this upcoming talk will be available via Holocaust Centre North’s website.