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5 Rupees - George V
| Issuer | Government of India |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917-1931 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 150 × 95 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | N 49 713295 I · PROMISE · TO · PAY · THE · BEARER · THE · SUM · OF FIVE RUPEES ON · DEMAND · AT · ANY · OFFICE · OF · ISSUE FOR · THE GOVERNMENT · OF · INDIA N 49 713295 |
| Reverse description | The denomination "Rs. 5" appears at upper right, beneath the cypher "G · R · I" in a cartouche at top centre, all within an intricate geometric border of interlocking key-fret and arrow-head patterns. The central field carries the value expressed in eight Indian vernacular scripts arranged in vertical sequence, against a multicolour guilloche underprint in green and ochre tones. The inscription "GOVERNMENT · OF · INDIA" is set in a horizontal panel along the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
The Government of India's 5 Rupee notes of this period were a direct product of wartime financial pressure — the First World War disrupted silver supplies severely enough that paper substitutes for coin denominations became unavoidable policy rather than preference. India had long resisted low-denomination paper currency, and public acceptance remained grudging well into the 1920s.
De La Rue printed the series in London throughout the entire run. The long issuance window — spanning fourteen years — means date varieties exist across multiple signing officials, and the Controller of Currency signatures are the primary distinguishing factor between early and late examples.