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5000 Rupees Bank of Western India, Bombay
| Issuer | Bank of Western India |
|---|---|
| Year | 1842-1845 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5000 Rupees |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The note bears denomination numerals in all four corners rendered alternately in Gujarati and Marathi scripts, each preceded by the abbreviation 'Ru'. A denomination panel appears at lower left, flanked on either side by a manuscript serial number. The central text area carries a printed promise panel with a manuscript date accompanied by the printed year '184x', all above the place name BOMBAY. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | BANK OF WESTERN INDIA |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Western India was incorporated in London in 1842 and failed spectacularly in 1848, making its operational window extraordinarily brief. A 5000 Rupee denomination places this firmly in the category of wholesale trade instruments — no ordinary depositor ever handled one. At that face value, the note would have moved between merchants, agency houses, and the bank itself, rarely if ever leaving ledger-room circulation.
Batho & Bingley operated from London, which meant these notes crossed the Atlantic before a single transaction. The bank collapsed before it could establish the branch network its founders envisioned, and most paper was called in or simply voided at failure. Survivors are exceptionally rare by default.