Up Close & Counting: What Makes Indian Currency More Sophisticated Than Most?

More than two years ago, Modi government announced its ambitious demonetisation policy. In an attempt to curb counterfeiting and bring a stop to corruption, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes were banned, turning the lives of modern Indians upside down, and making way for new, advanced currency notes that would be designed specifically to counteract anyone trying to attempt forgery. Whether or not demonetisation achieved its goal continues to remain a hot topic of debate and discussion in the society. Today, we have an oddly-sized 500 rupee note, an ochre-coloured 10 rupee note, a bright orange 200, and surprising teal-coloured 50 rupee note. Our wallets are nothing short of an artist’s canvas. This aggressive remonetisation by the RBI to ensure society’s equilibrium seems to have been an expensive affair that cost INR 13,000 crore. Moreover, the new currency notes are becoming unusable within just two years of circulation because of the bad paper quality as compared to the old notes, rendering them ‘unusable’. So while we try to understand (and believed) the high security features that make these new notes worth the hassle, let’s take a look back at the good old currency notes, their old designs and what made them so revolutionary for their time.

The Indian currency notes, issued exclusively by the Reserve Bank of India, feature notable security features which distinguish it from the counterfeits. Here are the key elements for you to observe in a banknote. You may want to reach out for your wallet for easy demonstration. The air-hostess like tone is unintentional.

Watermark

When the shopkeeper lifts the currency note and holds it against light, you know he’s looking for the most easily identifiable feature – the watermark. The white window on a currency note contains a watermark of Mahatma Gandhi, which is a mirror image of the main portrait. The Mahatma Gandhi series of banknotes were only introduced after 1996, while no other public figure was ever featured on a banknote issued in independent India. Interestingly, many people in Australia cannot even recognise the public figures on their currency notes. We’ll let this podcast enlighten you more on this.

Security Thread

A security thread runs to the left side of Gandhi’s portrait on the banknote. The inscriptions read ‘Bharat’ (in Hindi) and ‘RBI’ on the thread, which appears to be a continuous line if held against light. A 1000 rupee note also includes the denominational value in the security thread, in addition to ‘Bharat’ (in Hindi) and ‘RBI’.

Language

Every Indian currency note features the denomination in seventeen different languages. Hindi and English in the front, along with fifteen regional languages out of the twenty two officially recognised at the back. The regional languages included on the panel are Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. There’s no reason known why all languages aren’t included on the banknotes. According to the 2001 Census Data, Maithili and Santali have more native speakers than Konkani, Kashmiri and Nepali – languages which already find a place at the reverse end of the Indian currency notes. The importance accorded to Hindi is clearly evident in the placement of text. All text in the front appears first in Hindi and then in English, even the RBI Governor’s declaration and his signature follow the same rule.
[caption id=”” align=”aligncenter” width=”800”]

Latent Image

You may have skipped this feature even if you’re keenly following our instructions so far. Hold a banknote horizontally at your eye level and notice the band towards the right of Gandhi’s portrait. It shows the latent image of the respective domination value in numerics, but you may have to observe it a little more closely this time. If you’re holding a Rs. 5 or Rs. 10 note, you’re already doing it wrong as this feature isn’t valid for the said banknotes.

Micro lettering

But first, fetch a magnifying glass to observe this feature.  The word ‘RBI’ appears between the vertical band and Gandhi’s portrait in Rs. 5 and Rs. 10 notes. The denominational value also appears along with ‘RBI’ in notes of higher denomination.

Intaglio Printing

The fascinating Intaglio Print can be felt by touching in Rs. 20 notes and denominations higher than it. These are raised prints of the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, the Reserve Bank seal, guarantee and promise clause, Ashoka Pillar Emblem on the left, and RBI Governor’s signature.

Identification Mark for the visually impaired

Unlike the American dollar which is not easily accessible for the visually impaired unless they use a currency reader (know why), the Indian banknotes introduce a special feature in raised print on the left side of the watermark window, except in Rs. 10 notes. Rectangle, square, triangle, circle, and diamond are present in Rs. 20, Rs. 50, Rs. 100, Rs. 500, and Rs. 1000 banknotes respectively, to aid identification for the blind. The paper notes vary in size for different denominations for the same reason.  This is, in fact, indispensible for a nation that accounts for 20 per cent of the global blind population.

Fluorescence

Hold a banknote against UV light and you’d notice the numerical stand out. This is because the number panels are printed in florescent ink. Voila! Now you know what to with your paper money at the next UV party.

Optically Variable Ink

Here are a few more instructions to be followed carefully. Take a Rs. 500 or Rs. 1000 note and hold it flat. The colour of the numeral would appear green, unless you’re holding a fake note of course. Turn the note to an angle and see it change to blue. It’s not magic, just the optically variable colour-shifting ink.

Reverse End Design

Rs. 5 notes depict the agrarian economy, with a man ploughing his field while the sun rises at the horizon. India’s fauna with a rhinoceros, elephant, and tiger are seen on Rs. 10 notes. Mount Harriet from Port Blair is seen on Rs. 20, the Indian Parliament House on Rs. 50, the Himalayas on Rs. 100, Dandi March on Rs. 500, and the growing Indian economy with satellites and industries on Rs. 1000.

The world might want to shift to electronic money, where you access the wallet on your smartphone than the one in your pocket. But take your time, appreciate its splendour when it’s around.

Image Credits, Reverse End Designs: Furqan Jawed