INDIA Paper Money,
Bank of Bengal, 1812-58 Issues

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King George III
25.10.1760 - 29.1.1820 


King George IV
29.1.1820 - 26.6.1830 


King William IV
26.6.1830 - 20.6.1837



Queen Victoria
20.6.1837-22.1.1901

INDIA Banknotes, BANK OF BENGAL Banknotes, 1812-58

BRITISH EAST INDIA COMPANY

GBR rule of Bengal established 12.8.1765 under B E I Co.

Bank of Bengal

indP.UNLS24J.3.1.1250SiccaRupees13.9.1812RK.jpg
P.UNL(~S20), J.3.1.1  250 Sicca Rupees 13.9.1812  (1)  RK
indP.UNLS24J.3.1.1250SiccaRupees13.9.1812RKr.jpg
Back
 
indP.SUNL24250SiccaRupees10.10.1813RK.jpg
P.SUNL(~20)  250 Sicca Rupees 10.10.1813   RK
indP.SUNL24250SiccaRupees10.10.1813RKr.jpg
Calcutta Interest Bearing Issue Back
indP.SUNL24250SiccaRupees29.5.1819CalcuttaBankofBengalRK.jpg
'P.UNL(~S.20)  250 Sicca Rupees 29.5.1819   RK
Calcutta Interest Bearing Issue
IndP.UNLS.2416SikkaRupees1GoldMohur10.7.1816.jpg
P.UNL(~S.24) 16 Sicca Rupees/1 Gold Mohur 10.7.1812   MD
Calcutta Interest Bearing Issue
P.S25  500 Sicca Rupees 1815-20 Images Needed
P.S30 - P.S31  10 - 16 Sicca Rupees 1824-25 Images Needed
 indP.S3250SiccaRupees29.11.1829RK.jpg
P.S32  50 Sicca Rupees 29.11.1829    RK
UNIFACE
IndP.S32rJ.50SiccaRupees182xCalcutta.jpg
P.S32r  50 Sicca Rupees 182x   MD
Calcutta Issue
P.33  100 Sicca Rupees 1824-29 Images Needed
IndP.S34SJ.3.3.5250SikkaRupees18xxCalcutta.jpg
P.S34S, J.3.3.5  250 Sicca Rupees 18xx   MD
Calcutta Issue
P.S35 - P.S41  1824-36 Images Needed
indP.S36aJ.3.3.71000SiccaRupees10.1824RK.jpg
P.S36a, J.3.3.7  1,000 Sicca Rupees 10.1824    RK
indP.S36J.3.3.71000SiccaRupees10.1824RKr.jpg
Back
indP.S42100SiccaRupees3.11.1833RK.jpg
P.S42  100 Sicca Rupees 3.11.1833    NS
indP.S42100SiccaRupees3.11.1833RKr.jpg
Back
P.S43 - P.S54  1824-36 Images Needed
indP.S9125CompanyRupees30.23.1857RK.jpg
P.S53  25 Company Rupees 30.23.1833    RK
indP.S9125CompanyRupees30.23.1857RKr.jpg
Back
P.S54  1824-36 Images Needed
IndP.S55J.3.6.6100SikkaRupees17.3.1833No.01448_75.jpg
P.S55, J.3.6.6  100 Sicca Rupees 17.3.1833   MD
No.01448
IndP.S55J.3.6.6100SikkaRupees17.3.1833.jpg
P.S55, J.3.6.6  100 Sicca Rupees 17.3.1833   MD
No. 03404
indP.S55100SiccaRupees19.11.1934BankofBengalRK.jpg
P.S55, J.3.6.6  100 Sicca Rupees 19.11.1934    RK
indP.S55100SiccaRupees19.11.1934BankofBengalRKr.jpg
No.4300  Back
P.S56 - P.S57  1834-52 Images Needed
indP.S581000SiccaRupees6.6.1832RK.jpg
P.S58  1,000 Sicca Rupees 6.6.1832    RK
indP.S581000SiccaRupees6.6.1832RKr.jpg
Back
P.S59 - P.S64  1834-52 Images Needed
indP.S65100CompanyRupees8.5.1844RK.jpg
P.S65  100 Company Rupees 8.5.1844    RK
indP.S65100CompanyRupees8.5.1844RKr.jpg
Back
P.S66 - P.S72  1834-52 Images Needed
IndP.S73J.1.2.225Rupees185xBombay.jpg
P.S73, J.1.2.2  25 Rupees 185x   MD
Bombay Issue
P.S74  50 Rupees 1852-53 Images Needed
IndP.S75SJ.1.2.250Rupees185xBombay.jpg
P.S75S, J.1.2.2  50 Rupees 185x   MD
Bombay Issue
P.S76 - P.S79  1845-59 Images Needed
indP.S8010CompanyRupees15.4.1853RK.jpg
P.S80  10 Company Rupees 15.4.1853    RK
indP.S8010CompanyRupees15.4.1853RKr.jpg
Back
P.S81 - P.S89  1845-59 Images Needed
IndP.S90aJhun.3.10.110Rupees31.8.1857.jpg
P.S90a, J.3.10.1  10 Rupees 31.8.1857   MD
Calcutta Issue
indP.S9010Rupees31.8.1857RK.jpg
P.S90, J.3.10.1  10 Rupees 31.8.1857    NS
indP.S9010Rupees31.8.1857RKr.jpg
Calcutta Issue Back
IndP.S91aJhun.25Rupees3.8.1857.jpg
P.S91a  25 Rupees 3.8.1857   MD
Calcutta Issue
IndP.S92aJhun.3.10.350Rupees19.10.1857.jpg
P.S92a, J.3.10.3  50 Rupees 19.10.1857   MD
Calcutta Issue
IndP.S93aJhun.3.10.4100Rupees17.11.1857.jpg
P.S93a, J.3.10.4  100 Rupees 17.11.1857   MD
Calcutta Issue
indP.S93100Rupees17.11.1857RK.jpg
P.S93  100 Rupees 17.11.1857    RK
indP.S93100Rupees17.11.1857RKr.jpg
Calcutta Issue Back
P.S94 - P.S95  500-1,000 Rupees 1857-58 Images Needed
British India established 2.8.1858 under GBR crown. See Gov. India 1858-1947 for later issues.

(1)  This is the oldest surviving issued Indian banknote, per Jhunjhunwalla Catalog. An 1812 issue
of 20 Sicca Rupees has been reported but the voracity of that claim is questionable. The
 first confirmed banknote of the Bank of Bengal was issued in September 1812,
a 250 Sicca Rupees.


INDIA LINKS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

RK  We gratefully acknowledge Ramkumar yesramkumar@gmail.com for submitting these images.


NS   We gratefully acknowledge Nilaish for these images. He recently published his second book, the Presidency Banknotes of India 1770-1860 A.D.  This book contains a brief history of Presidency banknotes of India. The period stretches from 1770 to 1860 A.D. Soon in 1861 Currency Act was passed by the Government of India and Queen Victoria portraits notes were issued and all banks were banned to issue banknotes. This book also contains the circulation of notes issued by Bank of Bengal and the conditions set by the Royal Charter. A must buy for History buffs and paper money collectors.

Main features:

  - Cited work
- Catalogs after every chapter
- Collection of all images possible
- Reader's Notes
- Affordable Price
- Handy size
- Covers more than 200 illustrations


Please visit the website of his book:
http://pothi.com/pothi/book/nilaish-presidency-banknotes-india




BACKGROUNDER

Bank of Bengal was started as the Bank of Calcutta on 2 June 1806, with sixty lakhs of capital, issuing 500 shares of 10,000 Sicca Rupees. The name was changed to the Bank of Bengal on  2 June 1809 when it received its first Royal Charter incorporating as a joint stock company with 21 Indian shareholders. Along with the Bank of Bombay and the Bank of Madras, these three banks were known as Presidency banks.

An 1812 issue of 20 Sicca Rupees has been reported but its existence is questionable. The first confirmed banknote of the Bank of Bengal was issued in September 1812, a 250 Sicca Rupees. Unlike the coin of the realm, these notes paid a premium over face value while coins also required a 4% to 6% batta (a deduction for handling, checking purity and storing). These banknotes paid interest at the rate of 10-12% a year.

The Bank of Bengal issued its own bank notes for a total value of one crore (ten million) Sicca Rupees. From 1833 the Bank of Bengal was authorized to make all civil and military payments in all Presidency towns and villages.

The Banks fate took a negative turn when the Palmer and Coy Indigo company collapsed as a result of the House of Cockeral withdrawing its investments. This immediately devalued the banknotes followed by a run on its gold and silver reserves as well as a reduction of its copper reserves from the market.

In 1861 the government passed the Paper Currency Act limiting the right of the issue of paper currency to the three Presidency banks.

On 27 January 1921 the government amalgamated the three Presidency banks to form the Imperial Bank of India.