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15 Rupees Bank of Madras
| Issuer | Bank of Madras |
|---|---|
| Year | 1843-1861 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Heavy ornamental brown border frames the note on all sides. A vignette of the equestrian statue of Sir Thomas Munroe occupies the upper centre. The denomination numeral 15 appears in each of the four corners. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANK OF MADRAS Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand Fifteen Rupees. Value Received. For the BANK OF MADRAS. |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Madras was one of the three Presidency Banks established under British colonial administration, and its notes circulated alongside those of the Bombay and Bengal Presidencies in a deliberately fragmented system — none of the three had authority to issue notes beyond their own presidency. The 15-rupee denomination is an oddity by any standard, reflecting a transitional moment when Indian currency was still partially anchored to the old sicca rupee accounting system rather than a fully decimalized structure.
Perkins, Bacon & Petch brought their intaglio security printing expertise to this series, the same firm responsible for the first adhesive postage stamps. Their anti-forgery techniques were considered state of the art for the period.