INDIA Paper Money,
Bank of Bengal 1812-58 

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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 Bio  

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.UNLS.2416SikkaRupees1GoldMohur10.7.1816.jpg
P.UNL(~S.24) 16 Sicca Rupees/1 Gold Mohur 10.7.1816   MD		 Calcutta Interest Bearing Issue
P.S20  20 Sicca Rupees 1812-19 Images Needed
indP.UNLS24J.3.1.1250SiccaRupees13.9.1812RK.jpg
P.UNL(~S24), J.3.1.1  250 Sicca Rupees 13.9.1812  (1)  RK		 indP.UNLS24J.3.1.1250SiccaRupees13.9.1812RKr.jpg
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indP.SUNL24250SiccaRupees10.10.1813RK.jpg
P.SUNL(~24)  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.24)  250 Sicca Rupees 29.5.1819   RK		 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
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indP.S42100SiccaRupees3.11.1833RK.jpg
P.S42  100 Sicca Rupees 3.11.1833    RK		 indP.S42100SiccaRupees3.11.1833RKr.jpg
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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    RK		 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

BACKGROUNDER/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
MD  We gratefully acknowledge Indian numismatist Musham Damodhar of Adarsh Stamps & Coins for providing the following background information on the history of the Bank of Bengal

Please visit his website: http://www.philanumis.com/  where you will find a wide array of numismatic, philatelic and other unique material.

This site also includes a very interesting history of playing cards, including the ancient Ganjifa Indian playing cards. Musham Damodhar also has a blog where you can find information about his son, who is one of the youngest accomplished stamp collectors in the world.

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

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.

  © Garry Saint, Esquire 1999-2010