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Currency & Coinage of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan: Rupee and Paise:
The Pakistani Rupee (also
referred to as Rupaya” or “Rupaye”, in plural), is the official
currency of Pakistan, subdivided into 100 paise.
The word “Rupiya” is derived from the Sanskrit
word “rupya” meaning “wrought silver
or a coin of silver”. The term Rupaya was first used by Sher Shah Suri to
denote silver coins during his reign from 1540 to 1545 AD.
Historical
development of Pakistan
currency/coinage:
The territory which now
comprises Pakistan was ruled at various points of time by the:
Parthians
(12-130 AD):
The Gondopharid dynasty
(the term coming from the title “Gondophares”
– meaning “Holder of Glory”) and other Indo-Parthian rulers were a group of
ancient Kings from Central Asia, who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan
and North-Western India during this period. For most of their rule, the Gondophanid Kings held Taxila, (in
present day Province of Punjab in Pakistan) as their administrative capital,
but later shifted their capital between Kabul and Peshawar. Their coinage was
greatly inspired by the Arsacid dynasty and they belonged to groups of
Iranian tribes who lived around Parthia.
A Coin depicting the head
of Gondophares, Founder of the Indo-Parthian kingdom.
Coins of the Indo-Parthian
King Abdagases
Kushans
(30-375 AD),
The Kushan Empire was founded by Yuezhi in the Greco-Bactrian
territories. The Kushans were one of the five branches of the Yuezhi
Confederation. The territories ruled by this dynasty included much of
Afghanistan, present day Peshawar in Pakistan, Northern parts of the Indian
sub-continent all the way up to Sarnath in Varanasi.
Kanishka the Great expanded
his Kingdom North of the Karakoram mountains capturing vast areas of China,
including Xinjiang. He had diplomatic contacts with the Roman Empire, Sassanid
Persia, Aksumite Empire and Han Dynasty in China. The Kushans were very
tolerant religiously and their subjects practiced several religions – Buddhism,
Hinduism, Shamanism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism and various Bactrian – Indian
religions.
Gold coin showing Oesho or
Shiva with his ride – Nandi the sacred Bull
Gold coin of Kanishka the Great with a depiction of the Buddha and the legend “BODDO” in Greek language.
Sassanians
(224-641 AD):
The Sassanian Empire or Sassanid or Neo-Persian Empire founded
by Ardashir I was the last Iranian Empire before the rise of Islam from 224 –
651 AD. It succeeded the Parthian Empire and was recognised as one of the
leading world powers alongside its rival, the Roman Byzantine Empire. At its
height, it encompassed all of present day Iran, Iraq, Eastern Arabia (Bahrain,
Kuwait, Oman, Qatif, Qatar, UAE) , the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan),
the Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Dagestan, South Ossetia, Abkhazia),
Egypt, Turkey, and Central Asia (Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan),
Yemen and Pakistan.
The
Sasanians introduced Islam in
these territories and struck coins at Lahore derived from Afghan coinage of
this period.
Indo-Sassanians(240-410
AD):
The Sassanian Empire after
conquering Iran, Iraq & neighbouring regions expanded eastwards and forced
the hitherto autonomous western Kushans (Afghanistan & Pakistan) to accept
their suzerainty while the Eastern Kushans retained their control of India.
Coin of the Indo-Sassanid
Kushansha Varhran I (early 4th century), depicting King Varhran I on
the Obverse and the Hindu god Shiva seated on the Bull Nandi on the Reverse.
Hephthalites
(420-567 AD):
In the fifth century the White Huns (also called the”Hephthalites”, “Ephthalites”,
“Yanda”, “Yediyiliduo”, “Ye-Tai” or
the “White Huns” – in Sanskrit, they were called the “Sveta Huns”) who were a nomadic Confederation in Central Asia who
expanded their rule westward in the fifth century. At the height of their power
in the first half of the 6th century, the Hephthalite Empire
controlled territories in present day Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, India and China. The Huns struck
silver coins during their rule depicting several designs inspired by the Gupta
Empire.
A Hephthalite coin of King
Khingila with the 5th century legend “Khiggilo Alchono”
A Hephthalite silver coin
minted in the style of the Gupta period horse type coin from the 5th
century . The Guptas ruled parts of present day Pakistan around the same period as the White Huns.
A Hun coin styled in the
pattern of a Sassanian style coin from the 5th century
Rai
dynasty (489-632 AD),
Umayyad
Caliphate (661 – 750 AD),
Pala
Dynasty (770 – 850 AD),
Ghaznavids
(963-1187 AD):
(The Ghaznavid dynasty founded by Sabuktigin was a Persianate
Muslim dynasty of Turkic Mamluk origin. His son Mahmud of Ghazni expanded the
Ghaznavid Empire to the Amu Darya, the Indus River and the Indian Ocean in the
east and to Rey and Hamadan in the west. At the height of their glory, they
ruled large parts of Iran, much of Transoxiana and North India from 977-1186
AD).
Coins of Masud I of Ghazni
with inscriptions in Arabic struck around 1030 AD.
Mamluk
Dynasty (1206-1290 AD):
Still later the “Mamluks” (meaning “property” or “owned slaves”) and the
various later dynasties going by the combined name of the Delhi Sultanate which we were taught to remember the order
of the Delhi Sultanate Dynasties through the following sentence “Slaves Kindly Treated Serve Longer” (the Slave Dynasty was established in 1206 in the Indian
sub-continent by the Mamluk commander Qutb-ud-din Aibak who proclaimed himself
Sultan. (This dynasty lasted from 1206-1290).
It was followed by the Khilji Dynasty (1290-1320), Tughlaq
Dynasty (1320-1413), Sayyid dynasty (1414-1451), Lodi Dynasty (1451 – 1526),
Under Sher Shah (1539-1545) there was a profuse issue of large
silver coins bearing the “Kalama”
(the “Islamic Confession of Faith”)
and the names of the Four Caliphs.
Silver Rupiah of Sher Shah
Suri
Mughal
Empire (1526-1858):
Later, the Mughals ruled these territories.
During their rule, Multan was a prominent mint from the 16th to late
18th century.
The Mughal Emperor Jahangir was reputed to be the most
charitable of all the Mughal Emperors and minted the most memorable Gold &
silver coins of the Mughal dynasty.
It
is said that whenever the Emperor went on a tour of his Empire, a mobile Mint
used to accompany him, minting Gold and Silver coins which were given out to
the needy and poor subjects as alms, from the Emperor’s open carriage by
Jahangir himself.
The coins minted during
his time had new designs, sizes and weights and Jahangir’s Gold coins are among
the most splendid in their artistic calligraphy as well as their artistic
calligraphy.
In 1613, Jahangir
commissioned the production at Agra of five gold coins with a value of 1000
mohurs each. These coins had a diameter of 20.30 mm or 8 inches and weighed
over 12 Kg or 26 Pounds each.
These coins were presented
to various foreign ambassadors. Gold 500 mohurs are mentioned in Jahangir’s
autobiography also.
A 100 Mohur Gold coin of Mughal Emperor Jahangir
In 1639, a 100 mohur coin struck in Gold by Jahangir
had a diameter of 97 mm or 3.8 inches and weighed 1.94 kg or 2.4 gms.
Jahangir also authorised a
Series of coins featuring the signs of the Zodiac.
An image of a silver rupee
depicting the sign of Leo on the Obverse.
Later,
the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, replaced the “Islamic Confession of Faith”, with the name of the
issuing mint and the date of issue and this style prevailed till end of the
Mughal rule.
(The Shanghai Museum is a treasure trove of ancient Indian, Chinese and Islamic Coinage. For more on this aspect, please click: here.)
(The Shanghai Museum is a treasure trove of ancient Indian, Chinese and Islamic Coinage. For more on this aspect, please click: here.)
Bombay
Presidency (1618-1947),
Maratha
Empire (1758-1760),
Sikh
Empire (1799-1849):
In the mid-18th
century, Punjab was conquered by the Sikhs, who minted silver rupees at the
Mint in Lahore until the mid-19th century whereafter these
territories were occupied by the British India Raj.
British
India Empire (1849-1947),
Dominion
of Pakistan (1947-1956),
Islamic
Republic of Pakistan (1956-present):
In 1947, India was
partitioned into two nations – India and Pakistan.
Both countries got their
freedom from British Rule in 1947. In the same year British Indian Banknotes
and coins were used by the Government of Pakistan over-stamped “Government of
Pakistan”.
In 1948, new coins
inscribed “Government of Pakistan” were issued with a “tughra” or crescent and star motifs. Also Banknotes were issued by
Pakistan in the same year.
In 1956, Pakistan
was declared the “Islamic Republic of
Pakistan”. Initially the coins continued to be struck in the old
patterns.
(Pakistan was the first
country to adopt the term “Islamic” to modify its Republican status under its
otherwise secular constitution in 1956. Nevertheless, Islam as a State Religion
was not proclaimed until 1973, when a new
constitution – which was more democratic and less secular – was adopted. Under this Constitution, Pakistan adopted
Islamic laws as the State Laws in conjunction with the injunctions as laid down
in the Quran and Sunnah.
After Pakistan, some other
countries which adopted the term “Islamic Republic” are – Afghanistan, Iran and
Mauritania).
Although
Pakistan has been under Military rule off and on, punctuated by periods of
Parliamentary democracy, presently it is governed by Parliamentary democracy.
Nevertheless, the Pakistan military de facto continues to play a major role in
the country’s domestic and foreign policies.
State
Bank of Pakistan:
Prior to Pakistan gaining
Independence from British Rule on 14.08.1947, the Reserve Bank of India
was the Central Bank for both India and Pakistan.
In 1948, the State
Bank of Pakistan which is the Central Bank of the country was established.
On 30.12.1948, the
Reserve Bank of India’s assets/reserves were distributed between India and
Pakistan in the ratio of 70 – 30 respectively.
The State Bank of Pakistan Act 1956, with subsequent amendments
lays down the basis of the Bank’s Operations today. The Headquarters of the
Bank is located at Karachi with its subsidiary Headquarters being situated in
Islamabad.
Among its other Central
Banking functions, the State Bank of Pakistan oversees the issue of currency
notes above the denomination of Two Rupees (issuing currency of one Rupee was a
Government of Pakistan function) and the issue of coinage.
Pakistani
Coinage:
Coinage
of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan:
In 1948, coins were
introduced by the Government of Pakistan in the denominations of 1 Pice, ½, 1
and 2 Annas, i/4, ½ and 1 Rupee.
In 1951, 1 pie coins were
circulated.
In
1961, Pakistan adopted the Decimal system, when the earlier rupee of 16 Annas
was changed to a Rupee of 100 Paise.
Consequently,
1, 5 and 10 pice coins were issued followed by coins in the denominations of 1,
5, 10 paise and 25 paise coins were
minted.
Obverse
of a 10 Paise coin issued in 1962, showing the emblem of
Pakistan. On the upper periphery is the inscription “GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN”
below which is a “tughra”. This coin from my collection was minted in
1962 and is one of the first few coins to be minted under the Decimal coinage
in the 10 Paise category.
(Tughra: A Tughra is a calligraphic monogram, seal
or signature of a Sultan that was affixed to all official documents and
correspondence. The Tughra was designed at the beginning of the Sultan’s reign
and drawn by the court calligrapher or “nishanchi”
on written documents. A Tughra was
similar to the “cartouche” in ancient Egypt or the “Royal Cypher” of the British monarchs.
Parts/Sections
of a Tughra:
Sere:
the name of the sultan is written at the bottom (In this case it is the
“Government of Pakistan”).
Beyze:
The loops to the left of the Tughra are called “beyze”, meaning egg
representing the maritime power across seas.
Tug:
is the Flagstaff.
Zulfie:
are the “S” shaped lines crossing the tugs, they signify the winds blowing from
East to West.
Hangcer:
signifies a sword, which is a symbolof power and might).
Reverse of the above 10
Paise coin showing the year of issue as 1962. The denomination of the coin is
mentioned in three languages – “10 PAISE” (in English), “Dash Poisha” (in
Bengali) and “10 Paise” (in Urdu). At this time, East Bengal (present day
Bangla Desh) was a part of Pakistan as “East Pakistan”. Notice the beautiful
flower and leaf art-work on this coin. This design of coins was issued from
1961 to 1963.
In
1964, the inscriptions in English were dropped. 2
Paise coins were circulated.
Since 1976,
a few 50 paise or rupee coins were issued primarily to commemorate the
anniversaries of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of the State of Pakistan.
Also, in the same year, a
set of 3 coins were issued in gold and silver to promote wildlife conservation.
In 1979, one Rupee
coins were reintroduced.
In 1981, the 1400th
Anniversary of the Hegira coins were issued.
In 1998, 2 Rupee
coins were introduced.
In 2002, 5 Rupee
coins were circulated.
2
Paise coins were last minted in 1976 while the 1 Paisa coins were last
minted in 1979.
Since
1996, coins denominated in paise have ceased to be issued owing to
inflationary pressures.
All
paise denominated coins ceased to be legal tender from 2013 onwards.
In 2007, the metal
composition of 1 and 2 Rupee coins was changed to Aluminium.
Presently
the following denominations of coins are in circulation:
On the Obverse of the One Rupee coin is depicted Quaid – Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
On the Reverse of the One Rupee coin is depicted the Hazrat Bal Shah Kalandar Mausoleum,
Sehwan Shareef.
The specifications of this coin are:
Metal
composition: Bronze-Aluminium; Size: 20.00 mm diameter; Weight: 4.00 gms; Colour:
Brownish; In circulation from:
08.09.1998 onwards.
On the Obverse of the Two Rupees coin is depicted a Crescent and a Star.
On the Reverse of the Two Rupees coin is depicted the Badshahi Masjid, Lahore.
The specifications of this coin are:
Metal
composition: Brass-Aluminium; Size: 22.50 mm diameter; Weight: 5.00 gms; Colour:
Yellowish; In circulation from:
08.09.1998 onwards.
On the Obverse of the Five Rupees coin is depicted a Crescent and a Star.
On the Reverse of the Two Rupees coin is depicted the denomination of the coin with the
numeral “5”.
Metal
composition: Cupro-Nickel; Size: 24.00 mm diameter; Weight: 6.50 gms; Colour:
White; In circulation from: 26.12.2002
onwards.
Banknotes
of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan:
On 01.04.1948,
provisional Banknotes were issued by the Reserve Bank of India and the
Government of India on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, for circulation in
Pakistan. These Banknotes were printed by the India Security Press at Nasik and
were engraved with the legend “GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN” in English and
“HUKUMAT-e-PAKISTAN” in Urdu printed on the top and bottom on the Front of the
Banknotes. The signatures on these Banknotes were those of Indian Banking and
Finance officials. These Banknotes were
not legal tender in India.
Later, in 1948,
regular Banknote printing commenced in the denominations of 1, 5, 10 and 100
Rupees.
From
1948 to 1980, 1 Rupee Banknotes were issued by the Government, while the
other denominations (2, 5, 10 and 100 Rupees) were issued by the State Bank of
Pakistan from 1953 onwards.
In 1957, 50 Rupees
Banknotes were circulated.
Until 1977,
Banknotes were bilingual showing Bengali translations of the Urdu texts printed
on the Banknotes. In East Pakistan (formerly East Bengal and present day Bangla
Desh), Rupee denominations were more popular as “Taka”.
In1985, 2 Rupees
Banknotes were re-introduced.
In 1986, 500 Rupees
Banknotes were circulated.
In 1987, 1000
Rupees Banknotes were introduced.
In 1998, 2 Rupees
Banknotes were replaced by coins of the same denomination.
In 2002, 5 rupees
Banknotes were replaced by coins of the same denomination.
In 2005, 20 rupees
Banknotes were introduced.
In 2006, Banknotes
of 5000 Rupees denominations were circulated.
Common
features on all Banknote issues:
- On
the Front, all Banknotes
except Rs.1 and 2 denominations, featured a portrait of Mohammad ali Jinnah.
- On
the Back of various Banknotes
is a text in Urdu “Hasool-e-Rizq-e-Halal
Ibaadat hai” (meaning “Seeking honest livelihood is the worship of God”.
- The
Banknotes vary in size and colour, with the larger denominations being bigger.
All banknotes are multi-coloured with one predominant colour.
- All
Banknotes have a Security watermark – on the smaller Banknotes, the watermark
is that of a Crescent and a Star, while the higher denomination Banknotes bear
a watermark of the picture of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
- Different
types of Security threads are also provided in every Banknote.
Banknotes issued prior to
the 2005 Series:
The
Back of the One Rupee Banknote depicted the Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal in Lahore.
The
size of this Banknote was 95
mm x 66 mm and its predominant
colour was Brown.
This Banknote is no longer in
circulation and has been replaced by one Rupee coins since 1998.
The Front of a Two Rupees Banknote, showing the Crescent and Star Emblem of Pakistan
The
Back of the Two Rupees Banknote depicted the
Badshahi Masjid in Lahore.
The
size of this Banknote was 109
mm x 66 mm and its predominant colour
was purple.
This Banknote is no longer in
circulation and has been replaced by Two Rupees coins since 1998.
The Front of a Five Rupees Banknote showing the portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The Back of the above Five Rupees Banknote
The
Back of the Five Rupees Banknote depicted
the Khojak Tunnel in Baluchistan.
The
size of this Banknote was 127
mm x 73 mm and its predominant
colour was Burgundy.
This Banknote is no longer in
circulation and has been replaced by Five Rupees coins since 2002.
The Front of a Ten Rupees Banknote showing the portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The Back of the above Ten Rupees Banknote.
The
Back of the Ten Rupees Banknote depicts a Vignette of a view of Mohanjodaro in
Larkana district.
The
size of this Banknote was 141
mm x 73 mm and its predominant
colour is Green.
This Banknote was first issued on
12.07.1976, but is no longer being printed, however it is still in circulation.
The
Back of the Fifty Rupees Banknote depicts the Alamgiri Gate of the Lahore Fort in
Lahore.
The
size of this Banknote was 154
mm x 73 mm and its predominant
colours are purple and red.
This Banknote was first issued on 29.12.1977,
but is no longer being printed, however it is still in circulation.
The
Back of the Hundred Rupees Banknote depicts the Islamia College in Peshawar.
The
size of this Banknote was 165
mm x 73 mm and its predominant
colours are red and orange.
This Banknote was first issued on
12.07.1976, but is no longer being printed, however it is still in circulation.
The
Back of the Five Hundred Rupees Banknote
depicts the State Bank of Pakistan
building in Islamabad.
The
size of this Banknote was 175
mm x 73 mm and its predominant
colours were green, tan, red
and orange.
This Banknote was first issued on
01.04.1986, however it is no longer in circulation.
The
Back of the One Thousand Rupees Banknote
depicts the tomb of Jahangir in
Lahore.
(The
tomb of Jahangir is a mausoleum built for Jahangir, the Mughal Emperor from
1605 to 1627 is located in Shahdara Bagh in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan).
The
size of this Banknote was 175
mm x 73 mm and its predominant
colour is Royal blue.
This Banknote was first issued on
18.07.1987, but is no longer being printed, however it is still in circulation.
The 2005 Series of
Banknotes:
On
the Front of all these denominations of Banknotes is the portrait of Muhammad
Ali Jinnah.
The Front of a 5 Rupees Banknote issued in 2008, showing the portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah
The Back of the above 5 Rupees Banknote
The
Back of the Five Rupees Banknote depicts the
Gwadar Sea Port in Baluchistan
(which is a mega project).
The
size of this Banknote was 115
mm x 65 mm and its predominant
colour is Greenish Grey.
This Banknote was put into circulation
from 08.07.2012 and withdrawn from circulation on 31.12.2012.
The
Back of the Ten Rupees Banknote depicts the Bab ul Khyber) which is the
entrance to the Khyber Pass, Khyber agency, FATA).
The
size of this Banknote was 115
mm x 65 mm and its predominant
colour is Greenish Grey.
This Banknote was put into circulation
on 27.05.2006 and is presently legal tender.
The
Back of the Twenty Rupees Banknote depicts Mohanjodaro in Larkana district.
The size
of this Banknote was 123 mm x 65 mm and its predominant colour
is Orange Green.
This Banknote was put into circulation
on 22.03.2008 and is presently legal tender.
The Front of a 50 Rupees Banknote issued in 2013, showing the portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah
The Back of the above 50 Rupees Banknote
The
Back of the Fifty Rupees Banknote depicts Mount K2, (which is the second
highest mountain in the World and is situated in the Northern area of Pakistan).
The size
of this Banknote was 131 mm x 65 mm and its predominant colour
is purple.
This Banknote was put into circulation
on 08.07.2008 and is presently legal tender.
The Front of a 100 Rupees Banknote issued in 2012, showing the portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah
The Back of the above 100 Rupees Banknote
The
Back of the Hundred Rupees Banknote depicts Muhammad ali Jinnah’s residence in
Ziarat.
The
size of this Banknote was 139
mm x 65 mm and its predominant
colour is red.
This Banknote was put into circulation
on 11.11.2006 and is presently legal tender.
The
Back of the Five Hundred Rupees Banknote
depicts the Badshahi Masjid in Lahore.
The
size of this Banknote was 147
mm x 65 mm and its predominant
colour is rich deep green.
This Banknote was put into circulation
on 11.11.2006 and is presently legal tender.
The Front of a 1000 Rupees Banknote issued in 2014.
The Back of the above 1000 Rupees Banknote
The Front of a 1000 Rupees Banknote issued in 2014.
The
Back of the One Thousand Rupees Banknote
depicts the Islamia College in
Peshawar.
The
size of this Banknote was 155
mm x 65 mm and its predominant
colour is dark blue.
This Banknote was put into circulation
on 26.02.2007 and is presently legal tender.
The
Back of the Five Thousand Rupees Banknote
depicts the Faisal Masjid in Lahore.
The
size of this Banknote was 163
mm x 65 mm and its predominant
colour is mustard.
This Banknote was put into circulation
on 27.05.2006 and is presently legal tender.
Commemorative Banknote on
the 50th anniversary of the Independence of Pakistan:
The Front of the Commemorative Banknote issued on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of Pakistan. Notice the Commemorative years - "1947-1997" printed in English on this Banknote.
On
the Front of the Five Rupee Commemorative Banknote is
a portrait of Mumammad Ali Jinnah.
The Back of the above Commemorative Banknote
On
the Back of the Five Rupee Commemorative Banknote is
depicted the Tomb of Baha-ud-din
Zakariya (04.11.1171-21.12.1262) in Multan. (He belonged to the
Suhrawardiyya Sufi Order and was well known in the Mamluk Sultanate of India).
This Banknote has been in circulation from 1997 onwards.
Tail-piece: We went for a trip to Amritsar some years ago and went to see the Wagah border ceremony of closing the border gates for the night between India and Pakistan. The atmosphere was more like a festive "mela". We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. After the "Closing of the Gates" ceremony was over, we saw several Pakistani citizens make a bee-line for the closed gates and take pictures of the Indians on the Indian side and wave out in friendly gestures and vice versa. A pity that the Gates barred them from meeting one another. One wondered when the citizens of both countries who had fought for Independence from the British Raj shoulder to shoulder could ever be united again. A brief account of our trip can be accessed through the following link: please click here.
Tail-piece: We went for a trip to Amritsar some years ago and went to see the Wagah border ceremony of closing the border gates for the night between India and Pakistan. The atmosphere was more like a festive "mela". We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. After the "Closing of the Gates" ceremony was over, we saw several Pakistani citizens make a bee-line for the closed gates and take pictures of the Indians on the Indian side and wave out in friendly gestures and vice versa. A pity that the Gates barred them from meeting one another. One wondered when the citizens of both countries who had fought for Independence from the British Raj shoulder to shoulder could ever be united again. A brief account of our trip can be accessed through the following link: please click here.
(The
above Banknotes are from the collection of Jayant Biswas. The Rs.1000/-
Banknote has an interesting tale and was collected by Jayant from a retired
Pakistani Army Colonel in his Seventies and his wife whom he met at the hotel where he was
staying during his recent trip to the USA. They were visiting the US too during
this period on a holiday. Jayant got along famously with this well educated, widely travelled couple who gave him this Banknote upon learning that he had
an immense interest in collecting Currencies and Coins from around the World.
Images scanned and post researched and written by Rajeev Prasad)
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