Very interesting not only for numismatists, but also for everyone who is interested in money, the rupee coin . India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka - here is a list of countries where it is in circulation.
All banknotes of the national currency of India depict the same portrait - Mahatma Gandhi, one of the famous politicians who influenced the liberation of the state from colonial dependence. A banknote of 10 rupees is in circulation in the country almost daily.
A bit of history
This money was introduced into circulation in the form of silver coins by the Indian padish Sherkhan. In honor of him, the great writer R. Kipling in his "Jungle Book" named the main tiger.
The name of the currency of India goes back to Sanskrit. According to one version, it came from the word rupia, which means "silver that is processed." On the other - from the word rura - "animals", or "cattle".
Until 1947, the state remained a colony of Great Britain. The loose change of India was minted with the profile of British monarchs. After gaining independence, the rupee remained tied to the pound for a long time, and only in 1993 did it become floating.
Rupee Facts
In the official financial world, the following is known about the Indian rupee:
- The issuer and territory of circulation is India.
- The currency was introduced in 1526.
- 1 rupee consists of 100 paise.
- Coins and banknotes in circulation: 50 paise, 1, 2, 5 and 10 rupees - coins, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees - paper currency.
Given that the composition of the population of India is multinational in nature, banknote entries are duplicated in English, Hindi and another 15 of the 22 official languages of the country.
Importing or exporting rupee from India is prohibited. This does not include Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. You can import US dollars, but with an amount of more than 2500 a declaration is needed. According to the law, a tourist cannot take out money more than the amount that he brought.
In circulation Indian rupees of different years of release. They have different colors and pictures, but all have an image of Mahatma Gandhi. In size, each bill, starting with dozens, is 1 cm larger than the previous one. The most popular is a banknote of 100 rupees.
Coins of India of the early years of release, in addition to the numerical designation, had images of fingers. This was done for the illiterate population. Coins are used by tourists mainly for offerings to the gods; they play an insignificant role in circulation.
Coins of India during the period of colonial dependence had an unusual shape. For example, a coin with a face value of 1 anna, issued in 1944, has a wavy edge. On the reverse of this coin is a profile of the English King Emperor George VI. Some coins of India are in the form of a square with rounded corners.
Not all Indian banks exchange rupees for dollars. At airports, a special tax is levied for currency exchange. At banks in coastal cities, you can bargain for a better deal.
Rupee at the present stage
Not so long ago, the coins of India acquired their symbol and became a recognizable currency. It consists of elements of the Indian alphabet and looks similar to the English letter R.
Above are two features parallel to each other. The symbol, chosen from thousands of options sent from all the settlements of the country, denotes the unity of Indian centuries-old culture and modernity.
Now the Indian rupee is easier to distinguish from the rupees of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Bangladesh. The symbol is present on banknotes.