WHAT MAKES HISTORY OF INDIAN NOTES SO DIVERSE?
Indian notes can be broadly classified into
five main categories namely, Early banknotes, British India notes, princely state issues, colonial issues and republic of India notes. Let’s take a quick look at some subcategories and other interesting information about each of these five categories.
ď‚ž Early notes of India can be further divided
into three based in the three presidencies which issued them namely Bombay, Madras and Bengal. ď‚ž Bank of Hindostan issued currency notes in India from 1770 to 1832 while the General Bank in Bengal and Bihar issued them from 1773 to 1775.
ď‚ž British India notes can be further
classified as Portrait Notes of Queen Victoria, Uniface Notes of Government of India, King George V issues and King George VI issues. ď‚ž These notes of India were issued after the Paper Currency Act of 1861 came into effect. The British Government took over the responsibility of issuing Indian notes from Presidency Banks in 1867.
Osmania Notes of Hyderabad were the
only currency notes of India to be issued by a Princely state. Fakhr-ud-Din Ahmad, Mehdi Yar Jung, Ghulam Muhammad, Liaquat Jung, Zahed Hussain etc. were the Governors of Hyderabad who issued 1 Rupee Osmania Hyderabad notes.
ď‚ž The Portuguese and French also issued
several beautiful currency notes in India. Indo-Portuguese notes bore denominations such as Rupias and Escudos while IndoFrench Issues bore the denomination Roupies. ď‚ž As a note collector or notaphilist you must keep looking for these amazing varieties of Old Notes of India so that your collection becomes more diverse and vibrant.