Understanding Indian Notes and their Broad Categories

There are so many varieties of Indian notes that it sometimes gets very difficult to study them. The best way to analyse the history of Indian notes is by doing your research category-wise. Notes of India are broadly classified into five categories. Let’s understand each one today.

Early Indian Banknotes

The East India Company issued currency notes in India for three different presidencies namely, Bengal Presidency, Bombay Presidency and Madras Presidency. These notes were issued by semi-government banks as well as private banks. The Bank of Hindostan was the oldest bank of India which issued Indian notes from 1770 to 1832.

British India Notes

After the revolt of 1857, India directly fell under the authority of British Crown. Old notes of India issued after this time period were known as British India Notes. Initially, uniface notes featuring a portrait of Queen Victoria were issued. Banknotes depicting a portrait if King George V and King George VI were also issued later.

Princely State Issues

Only one princely state has issued currency notes of India, and that is Hyderabad. These banknotes depicted beautiful designs and Persian texts. Notes in denominations such as 1 rupee, 5 rupees, 10 rupees, 100 rupees, 500 rupees and 1000 rupees were issued by Hyderabad. Collectors are always keen on acquiring examples of these amazing princely state issues.  
 Colonial Notes

Apart from Britain, several parts of the Indian subcontinent were colonised by other European powers such as the Dutch, French, Portugal and Danes. Rare notes of India issued by these Governments fall under this category. These wonderful banknotes of India were circulated only within a particular territory.  

Republic India Notes

Notes of India issued after independence are known as Republic India notes. Today, the Reserve Bank of India issues banknotes of denominations such as 5 rupees, 10 rupees, 20 rupees, 50 rupees, 100 rupees, 500 rupees and 2000 rupees. 1 rupee notes are issued by the Government of India.


 If you are interested in collecting Indian Notes, then it is important to understand these broad categories first. Once you start reading about the history of Indian banknotes, you will start enjoying your hobby even more!  

Brief History of Indian Notes and Its Categories

Currency notes in India have evolved in a big way right from the Early Indian notes issued by the East India company to the modern notes of India that were issued after independence. Let’s take a look at the brief History of Indian Notes today.

Major Categories
Currency notes of India can be classified into four major groups namely, early banknotes of India issued for Bengal Presidency, Bombay Presidency and Madras presidency; notes of India issued during the British regime; Princely state issues of Hyderabad, Notes issued by other colonial powers like Portuguese and French and finally the modern notes of India that were issued after independence.

Early Banknotes
The Bank of Hindostan was operational from 1770 to 1832. The General Bank in Bengal and Bahar was established by Warren Hastings in 1773. These banks issued Early Indian notes until 1775. The Bengal Bank was established in 1784 and was operational till 1791.

British India Notes
British India notes can be further classified into four categories namely, Portrait Note of Queen Victoria, Uniface Notes of Government of India, King George V issues and King George VI issues. Rare notes of India featuring a portrait of Queen Victoria were issued in different denominations such as 10 Rupees, 20 Rupees, 50 Rupees, 100 Rupees, 500 Rupees and 1000 Rupees.

Princely State Issues
Osmania notes of Hyderabad were the only princely state issues that were circulated within the Indian subcontinent. These beautiful old notes of India featured intricate designs and Persian texts. They were issued in denominations such as 1 Rupee, 5 Rupees, 10 Rupees, 100 Rupees and 1000 Rupees.

Colonial Notes
Colonial notes of India issued by the Portuguese bore denominations such as Rupias, Tangas and Escudos. They were mainly green in colour with maroon designs and lettering. Rare notes of India issued during the French regime bore denominations such as 1 Roupie, 5 Roupies, 10 Roupies and 50 Roupies.

Modern Notes of India
Finally, the first notes of Independent India were issued in 1949 bearing the denomination 1 rupee. For two years after independence, extant notes of British India were in circulation. The latest entry into the family of Currency notes in India are the violet coloured 2000 rupees note, new 500 rupees note, chocolate brown coloured 10 rupees note, light blue coloured 50 rupees note, orange coloured 200 rupees note, and new 100 rupees note.

Through the study of the History of Indian Notes, we can learn a lot about our country’s past!

Two Wonderful Notes of India from Colonial Period worth Collecting

The history of Indian notes will take you back to the times when India was under the British Regime. These Amazing old notes of India feature interesting designs and have a lot of stories to say. Let’s learn about two interesting notes of India, one which was issued by East India Company and the other which was issued by British India.

5 Company Rupees of Bengal Presidency  

These old Indian notes bore the denomination 5 Company Rupees and were printed on handmade White paper by the Bank of Bengal for circulation within Bengal Presidency during the colonial times. They were known as Uniface notes because they featured designs only on one side. The year date on these rectangular banknotes of the dimension 15cm X 28 cm was absent.
The vignette on these notes of India appeared on both sides in vertical panels and featured an Elephant with its Mahout. The text 'Union Bank' appears in English, Devanagari, Persian, and Bangla while the text 'Union Bank, Calcutta' appears in English on these old notes of India. The English text 'Calcutta' is surrounded by denomination in words in English, Bangla, Persian, and Hindi. The denomination appears in Roman, Devanagari, Persian, and Bangla numeral in corner panels of these currency notes of India. The Central Panel features Promise Text, Manuscript date, Manuscript serial number, Denomination in English, Devanagari, Bangla, and Persian numerals, 'Entd. By' manuscript signature, and 'Cashier' signature. The Watermark depicts the Ashokan Pillar. The text “on demand” appears before Promise text.

500 Rupees Uniface Note Featuring Queen Victoria

These rare notes of India were issued for Calcutta circle and bore the denomination 500 rupees. They were known as Uniface notes as they featured designs only on one side. They were printed on handmade white paper and featured a portrait of Queen Victoria.
The obverse of these currency notes in India featured a Profile portrait of Queen Victoria in a floral wreath; 'Government of India'; Serial numbers with prefix, promise text; Denomination in words in Bangla and Persian; Circle between printed mirrored dates on either side; Denomination in numerals in Persian and Bangla; The name of Sub-Circle is an overprint; Hand stamped signature at the time of issue 'For The Government Of India; Denomination panel in numerals and words.
The watermark of these old Indian notes depict the text GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, denomination in words and numerals, signature of Sir James Wilson, the finance member of legislative Council, signature of Lord canning, the Governor General. There are wavy lines in central promise text panel as well.

It is very difficult to find these beautiful Currency Notes in India with so much historical value. If you have similar Indian notes in your collection, do let us know!

Journey of Old Notes of India through Interesting Examples

The journey of Indian notes has been very fascinating right from early banknotes of India to republic of India notes. When you study and analyse this journey, you would be surprised to discover several unknown aspects about Indian currency, history and economics. Let us Understand the History of Indian Notes today by looking at certain interesting examples.

Early Banknotes of India

Bank of Bengal, Bank of Bombay and Bank of Madras issued early banknotes of India for Bengal presidency, Bombay presidency and Madras Presidency respectively.

These 10 rupees rare notes of India issued by Bank of Bengal featured a personified 'Commerce' sitting on articles of merchandise. The obverse featured the text 'Bank of Bengal' in Bangla, Persian and Hindi in a vertical ornate panel. Other inscriptions include the manuscript's serial number, manuscript date, promise text with denomination; 'Entered by' manuscript signature; denomination panel and the denomination in words.  The reverse featured the text 'Bengal Bank'; printer's name and type of plate used for printing while the watermark depicted the Ashokan Pillar.

British India Notes

British India notes can be further classified as portrait note of Queen Victoria, Uniface notes of Government of India, King George V issues and King George VI issues.

This uniface 10 rupees note of Queen Victoria was issued for the Calcutta circle on 9th May 1862. The obverse featured a portrait of Queen Victoria. Other inscriptions include the texts 'Government of India'; Serial numbers with prefix, the promise text; Denomination in words in Bangla and Persian; mirrored dates; Denomination in numerals in Persian and Bangla; 'For The Government Of India; Denomination panel in numerals and words. The name of Sub-Circle is overprinted. The signature on these old notes of India was hand stamped at the time of issue. The watermark featured the text GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, denomination in words and numerals, signature of the finance member of legislative Council - Sir james Wilson, the signature of the Governor General Lord Canning and wavy lines in central promise text panel.

So far, we have only looked at two examples from two different categories of Indian Banknotes. Apart from these types, there are princely state issues, colonial notes of India and the Republic India notes as well. Keep upgrading your knowledge as and when you keep adding new banknotes of India to your collection.


 

Tips to Build a Unique Collection of Currency Notes in India

Notaphilists are always on the lookout for ways in which their collection can be enhanced. If you are wondering how you can make your collection of Indian notes unique, then you can start by adding different varieties. For that, you would first have to understand the broad categories of currency notes in India. The history of Indian Notes starts with early banknotes that were issued by various presidencies established by East India Company. Then we have British India notes that were issued when our country was officially declared as a colony of England. You can also search for Colonial issues that were released by other European powers. Hyderabad had also issued separate currency notes which are termed as Princely state issues. Finally we have the republic notes of India which were issued after independence.

If you are into collecting rare notes of India then you can make it more exciting by adding examples from each of these categories. You could also later segregate your collection based on time period or category. Among early banknotes you could look for the beautiful Bank of Hindostan issue for Bengal presidency. The 20 rupees note was unifaced and featured Intricate red design over a black imprint on the borders. The year of issue is absent on these Indian notes made of handmade white paper. The oval vignette on the left features a personified Ganga, while that on the right features a mahout on an elephant. A watermark shows Ashoka Pillar on the left.

You can also seek the 10 rupees British India Note issued for the Calcutta circle on 9th May 1862. The uniface note featured the signature of H. Hydes and a prefix A. The note features a portrait of Queen Victoria in a floral wreath. Other important texts include 'Government of India'. Denomination is featured in both words and numerals in two languages namely, Bangla and Persian. The watermark includes the text GOVERNMENT OF INDIA in bold letters on top. These rare notes of India also feature the signature of the finance member of legislative Council - Sir james Wilson and that of the Governor General - Lord canning.

There are hundreds of other varieties when it comes to old notes of India. You will have to keep researching about these wonderful rare notes of India if you really want to build an impressive collection.

How to Go about Building a Commendable Collection of Indian Notes

Currency notes in India are available today in different denominations like 1 rupee, 5 rupees, 10 rupees, 20 rupees, 50 rupees, 100 rupees, 500 rupees and 2000 rupees. Indian notes of the denomination 1000 rupees were banned in November 2017 along with the then-circulating 500 rupee notes. The decision was taken by PM Narendra Modi to curb black money. Notes of India of the denomination 2000 rupees is the latest addition in the family. Designs of Currency notes of India of the denomination rupees 10, rupees 50 and rupees 500 have been recently changed as well. History of Indian notes has always been fascinating, right from the first issues that were released during the colonial rule to the latest 2000 rupees notes. It gives you an idea about the economic condition of those times. Those who are interested in collecting and studying about currency notes of India, or any other country for that matter, are known as notaphilsts.

You will find different kinds of notaphilists. Some are interested in collecting uniface notes from British India, while there are many others who are on the lookout for modern notes of India with fancy serial numbers. You would be surprised to know that there are collectors who are willing to even pay lakhs of rupees for a single note with a fancy serial number. A lot depends on the condition of notes, their rarity and market demand.  That’s the reason why you should make sure that you are storing your collection of precious Indian notes in quality note collecting accessories so that their condition remains intact over several years. There is no use if you have rare notes of India in your collection but are unable to preserve their condition. Once a note is folded or is slightly torn, their market value reduces drastically!
    
There are a very few hobbies which not only give you immense joy but also increase your knowledge. Apart from patience and dedication, you also need to have an eye for noticing interesting serial numbers or combinations on banknotes. It is sometimes difficult to find old notes of India or rare notes of India. There is no point in getting frustrated. You can rather utilize the same time in researching about the history of Indian banknotes or searching Indian notes with unique serial numbers.

My Favourite Piece from my collection of Currency notes of India

When we think of Indian notes, all we think about is cash in our wallets. But if you are a passionate collector or notaphilist, you will go one step further. Notaphilists will take their time and keep looking at notes of India for hours together. They would try their best for finding out the history of Indian notes along the various symbolic depictions on them. Many would wonder what is so exciting about collecting Currency notes of India. Collecting notes is a hobby which is not very popular, but those who do it are the ones who can explain the joy of indulging in notaphily.

I have been collecting old notes of India since five years now, but I still think that there is a lot to achieve. Some of the expert collectors that I met recently have amazing collections of rare notes of India like the ones that were issued during the British times. Sometimes I wished I had some of those in my collection of Indian notes, but that’s how it is. You won’t find what you are looking for unless and until you are passionately trying to find it wholeheartedly. If I was asked to choose the most special piece form my collection of currency notes in India, I would be a super solid 1 Re note that was issued in 1917. Very recently our 1 rupee note celebrated its hundredth anniversary and I felt proud of owning a piece of history with me. I also have an interesting collection of colonial notes that were issued by the French and Portuguese. Some collector friends continuously lure me to sell those beautiful notes of India, but deep down they know that I will never do that ultimately. That’s the main difference between a collector and a dealer who is only looking to make some quick money by buying and selling notes randomly.

I have inculcated the habit of closely analyzing every Indian notes that comes to me. My friends sometimes laugh at me, but I don’t really care because collecting old notes of India is my passion and will continue doing it as and when I get some free time.    

   

Types of Old Indian Notes that Notaphilists look for

There are several passionate Notaphilist in our country who loves collecting interesting Indian Notes. They follow different themes based on the era in which these currency notes in India were issued. Notes of India can be broadly classified into five categories namely Early Banknotes, British India, Princely states, colonial issues and republic India notes. The kind of notes that a Notaphilist wants to collect is based on personal likes and interests.

There are many others who look for Rare Notes of India with unique serial number. There is another group of collectors who are keen on studying different imageries and motifs on Old Notes of India. No matter which category you fall into, this History of Indian Notes is really exciting and equally fascinating. If you are a true collector, you wouldn’t be satisfied by simply adding Rare Notes of India in your collection. You will take some effort in learning about the historical significance hidden behind these Currency Notes in India. By studying about issue limits and serial numbers of banknotes, you can understand the rarity of notes in your collection. Only if you are aware about these facts, would you will be given your due respect in this community.  

Early banknotes of India can be further classified into specific issues released by the three different presidencies namely, Bengal, Bombay and Madras. British India notes can be categorized into Portrait Note of Queen Victoria, Uniface Note of Government of India, King George V and King George VI. When it comes to old Indian notes issued by Princely states, Hyderabad was the only princely state that released its own Currency Notes of India. Other colonial issues include amazing Indo-French and Indo-Portuguese notes. There are many rare notes of India falling in these categories which have been sold for impressive amounts in auction houses all over the world. And finally, Republic India Notes can be further classified as Government of India issues, Indian Notes released under Reserve Bank of India, Persian Gulf issues and Haj Pilgrim notes.

With so many varieties to look forward to, collecting and studying about Rare Indian Notes is a dream for any Notaphilist!

Currency Notes of India are a reflection of our country’s past!

There are different ways in which you can study the evolution of a country like India. One of those ways is by studying Currency Notes of India , right from the time when they were first issued. Old notes of India include the ones that were issued by princely states like Hyderabad as well. Then there were some Indian Notes that were circulated by the different presidencies like Bombay, Madras and Bengal. These notes were valid only in specific territories that were created by the British East India Company for the ease of administration. Currency Notes in India also feature special security features that have changed with time. The latest notes of India come with world-class security features that reduce counterfeiting to a great extent. When you start collecting and learning about Indian Notes from different time periods, you get to analyze the economic situation during those days.

Only passionate collectors of Old Notes of India will understand the true joy of the hobby. Yes, you can make a lot of money by collecting Rare Notes of India, but money is not the only thing you should expect from the hobby. The sheer knowledge that you gain from pursuing a hobby like this is absolutely priceless. Apart from the historical significance behind Currency Notes in India, there are some collectors who are interesting in collecting Indian Notes which feature special serial numbers. These Notes of India are given different names like solid number note, super solid number note etc. based on the kind of serial number that the banknote features. You won’t always find historic Indian Notes. You have to be patient and look out for modern Rare Notes of India with special kind of serial numbers. That’s how you keep the excitement levels high in this hobby!
So get going and start collecting!
   

Take a close look at Notes of India, you could get lucky!

We use currency notes in our daily life every now and then, yet we never take a close look at them. There are many aspects about Notes of India which are extremely fascinating to learn about. Notaphily is the term given to the study of banknotes and people who are engaged in this study are called as notaphilists. There is a huge community of notaphilists who are into collecting different kinds of currency notes of India. Each one of them specialises in a particular area. Some like collecting old and rare notes of India while others are interested in fancy numbers depicted on notes. No matter what area that a collector chooses to specialise in, the hobby keeps excitement levels high for some odd reason.

If you ask why people like collecting currency notes of India, there is no one particular answer to it! As a collector, I get to travel and attend different kinds of seminars, events, exhibitions and meet all kinds of people. In that process one gets to upgrade his or her knowledge. I know much more about currency notes in India now than five years before when I started collecting them. Networking is the key when it comes to notaphily. Today when there are so many social media platforms, informing fellow collectors about your rare collection becomes extremely easy. Not just that, you are now getting a chance to reach out to a global audience. You never know, someone who is at the other end of the world might be looking out for a note which you have in your collection.

Many people look at collecting Notes of India as a good investment opportunity. Special notes that you buy today might fetch you some extra bucks in the future. Many a times you might notice something special in a particular note which nobody else might have noticed before! With that new observation, the value of that particular note can shoot up incredibly. So the best tip for collectors who are into Currency Notes of India, is to be highly observant and vigilant. You could lucky any time!

The Evolution of Currency Notes In India

Indian notes have evolved over the years. Both in terms of designs and sizes, Currency Notes In India can take you through a beautiful journey. From east India company notes to the latest 2000 rupees notes when you sit down and study various Indian notes that have been issued over the centuries, you will open yourself up to the rich history of India. Before the colonization of India, currency notes were not issued by kings and emperors in the medieval era. You will not find currency notes in India that were issued by the Mughals or the Marathas. After trade started flourishing in the 18^th century, India was slowly colonised by the East India Company and other European countries. For administrative purposes three different presidencies were formed – Bengal Presidency, Bombay Presidency and Madras Presidency. Indian notes were issued by each of these three presidencies. 

Apart from England, India was also under the Dutch, French and the Portuguese rule. Some really beautiful currency notes in India were issued under these colonial powers as well. Did you know that many uniface Indian notes were also issued back then? “Uniface notes” means that there was a design only on one side; the other side was basically left blank. 

Apart from the designs and sizes, another major aspect that has changed over the years is security features on currency notes in India. Counterfeiting has been prevalent since many years now. But with the advent of technology, forgeries have become easier as well. There is a constant need to increase security features on currency notes in India. The recent decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demonetize 500 rupees and 1000 rupees Indian notes was not just to curb black money but also to tab counterfeiting activities that has been funding terrorist organizations as well. Form uniface colonial Indian notes to the latest violet coloured 2000 rupee note, currency notes in India have many exciting stories to narrate.

How My Hobby Of Collecting Indian Notes Made Me Stress Free!

There are many interesting things to do in life which takes you out of your mundane and boring routine. What is the point in spending all your life doing something that does not make you happy? Amidst all the stress around you, there are moments when you want to break free and indulge in something that makes you smile and stay relaxed. Hobbies are a good escape that reduces stress levels to a great extent. There are scientific studies that have proved that people who take their hobbies more seriously are have lesser stress levels. Stress is one of the biggest causes of new age illnesses like hypertension, blood pressure, obesity, etc. Some like to play an instrument and others like to read books. There are many other kinds of interesting hobbies that people around the world are into. One such hobby is collecting banknotes. I know of some collectors who are passionate about collecting Indian Notes. What I like about them is that they are so enthusiastic about everything they do. I had never imagined that I would meet people who are so keen about collecting currency notes of India. 

I was cleaning my bike under my building when I saw a group of middle-aged men discussing something very important. When I went ahead to take a closer look, I found them holding their collections of Indian notes. I felt a bit awkward at first but slowly I was sucked into their conversations. I introduced myself and they did the same as well. They said that they have been collecting currency notes of India since 7 years now. I asked them how they go about doing all this. They said that they are not doing it full time, but they meet at least once in two weeks and discuss about whatever Indian notes they found or collected over the fortnight. When I first looked at their collection of currency notes of India, I was not very impressed. Then they asked me to take a closer look at the serial numbers. I noticed that these numbers had a particular pattern. When they explained more about the Indian notes that they collected, I was even more surprised.  

From that day onwards, I became a new comer to the field of collecting Indian notes. There has been no looking back ever since then! I am happier today; I have something to fall back to in times of stress, all thanks to that one meeting!

What makes Collectors fall in love with Indian Notes?

Money is what rules the world. If there was no money how would civilizations evolve? This power of money is what makes many collectors fall in love with currency notes. I have some friends who are into collecting Indian Notes. I always wondered what makes them want to pursue such a unique hobby. The most common hobbies that you would hear about is listening to music, playing a sport maybe. But this unusual hobby of collecting currency notes in India made me curious. 

Finally I went up to them and asked them why they are collecting Indian stamps. One of them answered saying that he loved history and by collecting Indian notes, he kind of stays connected with his field of interest. Thesn I questioned him further to find out what kind of Indian notes he likes to collect. He told me that he keeps looking out for currency notes in India that were issued when our country was colonised by the Portuguese, French and the British. I got a change to look at his amazing collection of Indian notes and was spell bound literally. I suddenly realised why he likes his hobby so much. I gazed at those lovely currency notes in India for almost an hour. Each note had a story to say. For the first time in my life I saw one-sided Indian notes. They had designs and inscriptions only on one side. 

Then I went up to another collector, he was different from my earlier friend. He liked collecting currency notes in India with fancy numbers on the serial number. For example, all ones or all twos. He had a certain terminology for each of these notes. The Indian notes he had with a serial number having the same digit were called super solid notes.

On that day I discovered that it is not really strange for someone to fall in love with the hobby of collecting banknotes!