Catalog
5 Rupees
| Issuer | Government of India |
|---|---|
| Year | 1904-1905 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Pale green guilloche underprint with the legend GOVERNMENT OF INDIA in an ornate letterpress panel at top. Serial numbers appear in all four corners flanking vertical side panels bearing the denomination numeral. Central text reads the promise-to-pay clause and THE SUM OF FIVE RUPEES, with denomination inscriptions in multiple South and Southeast Asian scripts in a central band. Issuing office, date, and place of issue appear at foot alongside manuscript signature. |
|---|---|
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| Signature(s) | 1904 - Atkinson 1905 - Brereton |
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| Comments |
The Government of India's early rupee notes were issued under the Paper Currency Act of 1861, but this particular piece belongs to a much later refinement of that system — one where the colonial administration had finally settled on a consistent format after decades of regional variation. The 1904–1905 series is scarce in any condition; circulation in British India was hard on paper currency, and the climate did the rest.
Two different signatories across a single year of issue is worth noting. Atkinson and Brereton were both Controllers of the Currency, and the changeover between them mid-series is why the same Pick number covers both signatures — they are distinct collecting varieties, not interchangeable.