10 Rupees Haj Pilgrim, Reserve Bank of India

The Haj Pilgrim rupee notes were a parallel currency issued specifically to prevent foreign exchange from leaking out of India during the hajj. Pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia could not take ordinary Reserve Bank notes across the border, so this dedicated series — overprinted or designated for external use — was issued in their place and accepted at designated exchange points. The scheme reflected the acute hard currency pressures India faced in the late 1950s, when the government was managing sterling balances and import controls simultaneously.

Saudi authorities eventually discontinued acceptance of the notes, effectively ending the series by the early 1960s.