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

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

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

P.S36a, J.3.3.7 1,000 Sicca Rupees 10.1824 _RK

indP.S36J.3.3.71000SiccaRupees10.1824RKr.jpg

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P.S42 100 Sicca Rupees 3.11.1833 _NS

Back

P.S43 - P.S54 1824-36

Images Needed

P.S53 25 Company Rupees 30.23.1833 _RK

indP.S9125CompanyRupees30.23.1857RKr.jpg

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P.S54 1824-36

Images Needed

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

P.S58 1,000 Sicca Rupees 6.6.1832 _RK

Back

P.S59 - P.S64 1834-52

Images Needed

P.S65 100 Company Rupees 8.5.1844 _RK

Back

P.S66 - P.S72 1834-52

Images Needed

P.S73, J.1.2.2 25 Rupees 185x _MD

Bombay Issue

P.S74 50 Rupees 1852-53

Images Needed

P.S75S, J.1.2.2 50 Rupees 185x _MD

Bombay Issue

P.S76 - P.S79 1845-59

Images Needed

P.S80 10 Company Rupees 15.4.1853 _RK

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

P.S90, J.3.10.1 10 Rupees 31.8.1857 _NS

Calcutta Issue Back

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

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P.S93a, J.3.10.4 100 Rupees 17.11.1857 _MD

Calcutta Issue

P.S93 100 Rupees 17.11.1857 _RK

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.

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(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.