Catalog
1 Rupee
| Issuer | Government of Pakistan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1949 |
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| Reference(s) | P#4 |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Green and multicolour. The central vignette presents a view through a monumental Mughal-style archway at left centre, with decorative columns in the foreground and a domed building visible in the background courtyard. The Urdu inscription 'Hukumat-e-Pakistan' appears in a cartouche at the top, with the denomination 'Aik Rupiya' at the lower centre, and a large circular guilloche watermark space at right. The note is framed by a fine geometric and floral border. |
| Reverse lettering | حکومت پاکستان ایک روپیہ |
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| Comments |
Pakistan's first domestic currency issue came with significant constraints — the country had inherited printing infrastructure and note designs from British India, and early rupee notes were necessarily outsourced to established British security printers while local capacity was built. Bradbury Wilkinson, based in New Malden, had long experience with colonial and post-colonial currency contracts across Asia and Africa, and their involvement here reflects that continuity rather than any particular design commission.
The P#4 is the first 1 Rupee note issued under the Government of Pakistan designation, distinct from the transitional Reserve Bank of India notes overprinted for Pakistani use in 1947–48. That distinction matters for date collectors: earlier Pakistani rupees carry an RBI lineage; this one does not.