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5 Rupees Mahatma Gandhi birth centenary
| Issuer | Reserve Bank of India |
|---|---|
| Year | 1969-1970 |
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| Reference(s) | P#68 |
| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in green on a lilac-pink guilloche underprint, with the large numeral '5' at centre framed by the promise-to-pay legend in English and Hindi. The Ashoka Lion Capital vignette occupies the right panel within an ornate intaglio border, while the RBI monogram cartouche appears at upper right. The issuing authority title in English and Devanagari script runs across the top, with the guarantee clause below, and the denomination in Devanagari lettering with serial number panel at the foot. |
|---|---|
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| Signature(s) | L. K. Jha B. N. Adarkar |
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| Comments |
This note was issued specifically to mark the centenary of Gandhi's birth — 2 October 1969 — making it one of the few commemorative issues in Reserve Bank of India history to appear as a circulating denomination rather than a collector's item. The decision to use the 5-rupee note, then a workhorse of everyday commerce, gave the issue genuine reach across the economy.
Two signature varieties exist: L. K. Jha, who was RBI Governor at the time of the centenary, and B. N. Adarkar, who served only briefly as Officer-in-Charge in 1970 — making his signed notes appreciably harder to find.