Crucial Aspects about Early Indian Banknotes

1. Crucial Aspects About Early Indian Banknotes

2. Indian Banknotes issued by the East India Company can be classified based on the three presidencies for which the notes were issued namely – Bengal presidency, Bombay Presidency and Madras Presidency. • Let’s take a quick look at some interesting facts about these old Banknotes of India through this presentation.

4. Early banknotes issued by Bank of Bengal featured designs only on one side and they were called uniface notes. Commerce Notes featured a vignette of an allegorical female figure indicating 'commerce' and had designs on both sides. • Three different languages were used to print name of bank and denomination namely, Urdu, Bangla and Devnagari. Notes from the Britannia series featured complex designs to reduce counterfeiting activities.

6. Old currency banknotes for Bombay Presidency were issued from 1850 to 1860. These notes were much better in terms of quality when compared to other banknotes issued during that time. • Town Hall of Bombay or the Asiatic Society of Bombay featured on these early banknotes of India. Statues of Sir MountstrautElphinstone and Sir John Malcom were also featured on them.

8. The Bank of Madras was established in 1843 by merging Carnatic Bank, the Madras Bank and the Asiatic Bank. • Out of all other Indian presidency banknotes, Bank of Madras had the smallest issue of early bank notes of India. They featured the vignette of the Governor of Madras - Sir Thomas Munroe.

10. Both private as well as semi-government banks issued early banknotes from the 18th century onwards. Bank of Hindostan, the General Bank in Bengal and Bahar and the Bengal Bank were the first banks to issue these rare notes of India. • If you like collecting old and Rare Banknotes of India, then you must look for banknotes issued by the above-mentioned banks.