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Identifying
Genuine & Fake Notes |
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Banknotes
since
Independence |
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Ashoka
Pillar
Banknotes:
The
first
banknote
issued
by
independent
India
was the
one
rupee
note
issued
in 1949.
While
retaining
the same
designs
the new
banknotes
were
issued
with the
symbol
of Lion
Capital
of
Ashoka
Pillar
at
Sarnath
in the
watermark
window
in place
of the
portrait
of King
George. |
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The name
of the
issuer,
the
denomination
and the
guarantee
clause
were
printed
in Hindi
on the
new
banknotes
from the
year
1951.
The
banknotes
in the
denomination
of
Rs.1000,
Rs.5000
and
Rs.10000
were
issued
in the
year
1954.
Banknotes
in
Ashoka
Pillar
watermark
Series,
in Rs.10
denomination
were
issued
between
1967 and
1992,
Rs.20
denomination
in 1972
and
1975,
Rs.50 in
1975 and
1981,
and
Rs.100
between
1967-1979.
These
banknotes
are
still
found in
circulation |
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Mahatma
Gandhi
(MG)
Series
1996:
The
banknotes
in MG
Series –
1996 are
available
in the
denomination
of Rs.5,
(introduced
in
November
2001)
Rs.10
(13-06-1996),
Rs.20
(24-08-2001),
Rs.50
(14-03-1997),
Rs.100
(04-06-1996),
Rs.500
(20-10.1997)
and
Rs.1000
(November
2000).
All the
banknotes
of this
series
bear the
portrait
of
Mahatma
Gandhi
on the
obverse
(front)
side, in
place of
symbol
of Lion
Capital
of
Ashoka
Pillar,
which
has also
been
retained
and
shifted
on the
same
side.
This
means
that
these
banknotes
contain
Mahatma
Gandhi
watermark
as well
as
Mahatma
Gandhi's
portrait. |
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Are there any
special features in
the banknotes of
Mahatma Gandhi
series- 1996? |
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The Mahatma
Gandhi series-1996
banknotes contained
several special
features vis-à-vis
the banknotes issued
earlier. These are
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Security
thread:
Rs.10,
Rs.20
and
Rs.50
notes
contain
fully
embedded
security
thread.
Rs.100,
Rs.500
and
Rs.1000
banknotes
contain
windowed
security
thread.
This
thread
is
partially
exposed
and
partially
embedded.
When
held
against
light,
this
thread
can be
seen as
one
continuous
line.
Other
than on
Rs.1000
banknotes,
this
thread
contains
the
words
'Bharat'
in the
Devanagari
script
and
'RBI'
appearing
alternately.
The
security
thread
of the
Rs.1000
banknote
contains
the
inscription
'Bharat'
in the
Devanagari
script,
'1000'
and
'RBI'.
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Latent
Image:
The
vertical
band
next to
the
(right
side)
Mahatma
Gandhi’s
portrait,
contains
a latent
image,
showing
the
denominational
value
20, 50,
100, 500
or 1000
as the
case may
be. The
value
can be
seen
only
when the
banknote
is held
horizontally
and
light
allowed
to fall
on it at
45° ;
otherwise
this
feature
appears
only as
a
vertical
band.
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Micro
letterings:
This
feature
appears
between
the
vertical
band and
Mahatma
Gandhi
portrait.
It
contains
the word
‘RBI’ in
Rs.10.
Notes of
Rs.20
and
above
also
contain
the
denominational
value of
the
banknotes.
This
feature
can be
seen
better
under a
magnifying
glass. |
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Identification
mark: A
special
intaglio
feature
(raised
printing)
has been
introduced
on the
left of
the
watermark
window,
on the
obverse
(front)
on all
banknotes
except
Rs.10/-
banknote.
This
feature
is in
different
shapes
for
various
denominations
(Rs.20-Vertical
Rectangle,
Rs.50-Square,
Rs.100-Triangle,
Rs.500-Circle,
Rs.1000-Diamond)
and
helps
the
visually
impaired
to
identify
the
denomination
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Intaglio
Printing:
The
portrait
of
Mahatma
Gandhi,
Reserve
Bank
seal,
Guarantee
and
promise
clause,
Ashoka
Pillar
Emblem
and RBI
Governor's
signature
are
printed
in
intaglio
i.e. in
raised
prints
in
Rs.20,
Rs.50,
Rs.100,
Rs.500
and
Rs.1000
banknotes.
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Fluorescence:
The
number
panels
of the
banknotes
are
printed
in
fluorescent
ink. The
banknotes
also
have
optical
fibres.
Both can
be seen
when the
banknotes
are
exposed
to
ultra-violet
lamp. |
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Optically
Variable
Ink: The
numeral
500 &
1000 on
the
Rs.500
[revised
colour
scheme
of mild
yellow,
mauve
and
brown]
and
Rs.1000
banknotes
are
printed
in
Optically
Variable
Ink
viz., a
colour-shifting
ink. The
colour
of these
numerals
appears
green
when the
banknotes
are held
flat but
would
change
to blue
when the
banknotes
are held
at an
angle.
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Watermark: The
banknotes
contain
the
Mahatma
Gandhi
watermark
with a
light
and
shade
effect
and
multi-directional
lines in
the
watermark
window. |
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MG
series –
2005
banknotes
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MG
series
2005
banknotes
are
issued
in the
denomination
of
Rs.10,
Rs.20,
Rs.50,
Rs.100,
Rs.500
and
Rs.1000
contain
some
additional
/ new
security
features.
The
Rs.50
and
Rs.100
banknotes
were
issued
in
August
2005,
followed
by
Rs.500
and
Rs.1000
denominations
in
October
2005 and
Rs.10
and
Rs.20 in
April
2006 and
August
2006,
respectively.
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The
additional
/ new
security
features
in MG
Series
2005
banknotes.
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Security
Thread:
The
machine-readable
security
thread
in
Rs.10,
Rs.20
and
Rs.50
denomination
banknotes
is
windowed
on front
side and
fully
embedded
on
reverse
side.
The
thread
fluoresces
in
yellow
on both
sides
under
ultraviolet
light.
The
thread
appears
as a
continuous
line
from
behind
when
held up
against
light.
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Rs.100,
Rs.500
and
Rs.1000
denomination
banknotes
have
machine-readable
windowed
security
thread
with
colour
shift
from
green to
blue
when
viewed
from
different
angles.
It
fluoresces
in
yellow
on the
reverse
and the
text
will
fluoresce
on the
obverse
under
ultraviolet
light.
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Intaglio
Printing:
The
portrait
of
Mahatma
Gandhi,
Reserve
Bank
seal,
Guarantee
and
promise
clause,
Ashoka
Pillar
emblem,
Governor's
signature
and the
identification
mark for
the
visually
impaired
persons
are
printed
in
improved
intaglio.
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See
through
register:
Half the
numeral
of each
denomination
(10, 20,
50, 100,
500 and
1000) is
printed
on the
obverse
(front)
and half
on the
reverse.
The
accurate
back to
back
registration
makes
the
numeral
appear
as one
when
viewed
against
light.
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Water
Mark and
electrotype
watermark:
The
portrait
of
Mahatma
Gandhi,
the
multi-directional
lines
and an
electrotype
mark
showing
the
denominational
numeral
10, 20,
50, 100,
500 and
1000
appear
in this
section
respectively
in each
denomination
banknote
and
these
can be
viewed
better
when the
banknote
is held
against
light.
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Optically
Variable
Ink (OVI):
The font
size of
the
numeral
500 and
1000 in
Rs.500
and
Rs.1000
denomination
banknotes
is
reduced,
as
compared
to MG
series
banknotes
issued
in these
denominations
earlier
in the
year
2000.
The
colour
of the
numeral
appears
green
when the
banknote
is held
flat but
would
change
to blue
when the
banknote
is held
at an
angle. |
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Dual
coloured
optical
fibres,
seen
under UV
lamp.
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Year of
Printing:
Year of
printing
appears
on the
reverse
of the
banknote |
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All
these
banknotes
issued
by the
Bank are
legal
tender.
The
details
are also
available
in the
updated
version
of the
Master
Circular
on
Detection
and
Impounding
of
Counterfeit
Banknotes-
(2007).
(Annex
IV)
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Why was
the
change
brought
about?
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Central
banks,
the
world
over
change
the
design
of their
banknotes
and
introduce
new
security
features
primarily
to make
counterfeiting
difficult
and to
stay
ahead of
counterfeiters.
India
also
follows
the same
policy.
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What is
a "star
series"
banknote?
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Fresh
banknotes
issued
by
Reserve
Bank of
India
till
August
2006
were
serially
numbered.
Each
banknote
bears a
distinctive
serial
number
along
with a
prefix.
The
prefix
consists
of
numeral
and
letter/s.
The
banknotes
are
issued
in
packets
containing
100
pieces.
The Bank
has
adopted
the
"STAR
series"
numbering
system
for
replacement
of
defectively
printed
banknotes,
at the
printing
presses.
To begin
with,
this
will be
for
banknotes
of
Rs.10,
Rs.20
and
Rs.50
denomination.
The Star
series
banknotes
are
exactly
like the
existing
Mahatma
Gandhi
Series
banknotes,
but have
an
additional
character
viz., a
*(star)
in the
number
panel in
the
space
between
the
prefix
and the
number.
The
packets
containing
these
banknotes
will
not,
therefore,
have
sequential
serial
numbers,
but
contain
100
banknotes,
as
usual.
To
facilitate
easy
identification,
the
bands on
such
packets
clearly
indicate
the
presence
of these
banknotes
in the
packet. |
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