Currency Today : India 03

I don't know if size really matters, but as far as the Indian banknotes concerns, there is something to say about their sizes.

First of all, the smaller denominations, 5, 10 and 20 have the same hight.
Same goes for the other notes of 50, 100, 500 and 1000.

The 50 note is a bit smaller then the 20, but from then on, they all increase in lenght.

all banknotes front side

As there is so much to say about Indian banknotes, I had to mention the languages at the back of the notes.
Let's put them next to eachother:

5, 10 and 20 ( 15 languages)

50, 100, 500 and 1000 (15 languages)

If we look at one note in particular, we see 15 languages that are spoken in India.

 

"10 rupees"  in 15 languages

For the die hard fans :

Language 1 2 5 English One Rupee Two Rupees Five Rupees Gujarati એક રૂપિયો બે રૂપિયા પાંચ રૂપિયા Hindi एक रुपया दो रुपये पाँच रुपये Nepali एक रुपियाँ दुई रुपियाँ पाँच रुपियाँ Kannada ಒಂದು ರುಪಾಯಿ ಎರಡು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು ಐದು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು Konkani एक रुपया दोन रुपया पांच रुपया Malayalam ഒരു രൂപ രണ്ടു രൂപ അഞ്ചു രൂപ Marathi एक रुपया दोन रुपये पाच रुपये Assamese এক টকা দুই টকা পাঁচ টকা Sanskrit एकरूप्यकम् द्वे रूप्यके पञ्चरूप्यकाणि Bengali এক টাকা দুই টাকা পাঁচ টাকা Tamil ஒரு ரூபாய் இரண்டு ரூபாய் ஐந்து ரூபாய் Telugu ఒక రూపాయి రెండు రూపాయిలు ఐదు రూపాయిలు Punjabi ਏਕ ਰੁਪਏ ਦੋ ਰੁਪਏ ਪੰਜ ਰੁਪਏ Urdu ایک روپیہ دو روپے پانچ روپے Oriya Language 10 20 50 English Ten Rupees Twenty Rupees Fifty Rupees Gujarati દસ રૂપિયા વીસ રૂપિયા પચાસ રૂપિયા Hindi दस रुपये बीस रुपये पचास रुपये Nepali दश रुपियाँ बीस रुपियाँ पचास रुपियाँ Kannada ಹತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು ಐವತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು Konkani धा रुपया वीस रुपया पन्नास रुपया Malayalam പത്തു രുപ ഇരുപതു രൂപ അൻപതു രൂപ Marathi दहा रुपये वीस रुपये पन्नास रुपये Assamese দহ টকা বিছ টকা পঞ্চাশ টকা Sanskrit दशरूप्यकाणि विंशती रूप्यकाणि पञ्चाशत रूप्यकाणि Bengali দশ টাকা কুড়ি টাকা পঞ্চাশ টাকা Tamil பத்து ரூபாய் இருபது ரூபாய் ஐம்பது ரூபாய் Telugu పది రూపాయిలు ఇరవై రూపాయిలు యాభై రూపాయిలు Punjabi ਦਸ ਰੁਪਏ ਵੀਹ ਰੁਪਏ ਪੰਜਾਹ ਰੁਪਏ Urdu دس روپے بیس روپے پچاس روپے Oriya Language 100 500 1000 English Hundred Rupees Five Hundred Rupees One Thousand Rupees Gujarati સો રૂપિયા પાંચ સો રૂપિયા એક હજાર રૂપિયા Hindi एक सौ रुपये पांच सौ रुपये एक हज़ार रुपये Nepali एक सय रुपियाँ पाँच सय रुपियाँ एक हज़ार रुपियाँ Kannada ನೂರು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು ಐನೂರು ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು ಒಂದು ಸಾವಿರ ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳು Konkani शंभर रुपया पाचशें रुपया एक हज़ार रुपया Malayalam നൂറു രൂപ അഞ്ഞൂറു രൂപ ആയിരം രൂപ Marathi शंभर रुपये पाचशे रुपये एक हजार रुपये Assamese এশ টকা পাঁচশ টকা এক হাজাৰ টকা Sanskrit शतं रूप्यकाणि पञ्चशतं रूप्यकाणि सहस्र रूप्यकाणि Bengali শত টাকা পাঁচশত টাকা এক হাজার টাকা Tamil நூறு ரூபாய் ஐந்நூறு ரூபாய் ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் Telugu నూరు రూపాయిలు ఐదువందల రూపాయిలు వెయ్యి రూపాయిలు Punjabi ਇਕ ਸੋ ਰੁਪਏ ਪੰਜ ਸੋ ਰੁਪਏ ਇਕ ਹਜਾਰ ਰੁਪਏ Urdu ایک سو روپے پانچ سو روپے ایک ہزار روپے Oriya

Finally, to be complete, the word "rupee" is derived from the Sanskrit word रूप्यकम् (rūpyakam)

and means "silver". This same word in Bengali is : টাকা (taka); and 'taka' is the currency in Bangladesh.

Currency Today : India 02

In my previous post, I showed you the lower denominations of the Indian banknotes.
Of course there are more notes circulating, as you will find out in this second part.

500 and 1000 note (front)

500 and 1000 note (back)

We see the same style in notes as the lower values.
The 500 note, doesn't bare the new symbol.
The Reserve Bank has introduced banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi Series since 1996 


At least till 2002, the issued notes had no date at the back bottom.
In my collection I found dates from 2005 on.

500 notes, with different years

Another detail, that can help your collection to be more complete, are the letters behind the serial number.

we see S, N, M, R and no letter

If you're looking for complete sets :

for the 5 : w/o - L and R (and signature varieties)
for the 10 : w/o - A, B, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T (and signature varieties)
for the 20 : w/o - A and R (and signature varieties)
for the 50 : w/o - A, E, L and R (and signature varieties)
for the 100 : w/o - A, B, E, F, L and R (and signature varieties)
for the 500 - 1st design : w/o - A and C (and signature varieties)

for the 500 - 2nd design : w/o - A, B and C (and signature varieties)
for the 1000 : w/o or A


happy collecting ...