Catalog
100 Rupees
| Issuer | Government of the East Africa Protectorate |
|---|---|
| Year | 1905 |
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| Reference(s) | P#1E |
| Obverse description | Issued in black letterpress on white paper, the note bears the bold title THE GOVERNMENT OF THE EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE within an ornate guilloche cartouche at the top. The denomination ONE HUNDRED RUPEES is expressed centrally in English, Arabic, and Gujarati scripts, with the numeral 100 in large gothic type at each lateral margin. The place and date of issue, Mombasa, 1st September 1905, appear in script below the denomination panel, with a manuscript signature to the right above the legend FOR THE CURRENCY COMMISSIONERS. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE GOVERNMENT OF THE EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE PROMISES TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF ONE HUNDRED RUPEES مابة روبية ١٠٠ 100 સ્ટર્લી રૂપિયા FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE FOR THE CURRENCY COMMISSIONERS Mombasa, 1st September 1905 |
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| Comments |
The Government of the East Africa Protectorate's rupee-denominated notes were a direct consequence of the currency already circulating through the Indian Ocean trade network — the Indian rupee had long been the de facto medium of exchange along the coast, and when British administration formalized its presence, it issued notes denominated to match that reality rather than impose sterling. Thomas De La Rue handled the printing from London, a standard arrangement for British colonial issues of the period.
The Protectorate itself was abolished in 1920, when the territory became Kenya Colony. The rupee series was subsequently replaced by the florin and then the shilling, rendering these early issues obsolete within two decades of first appearance.