Asian Banknote Issuing Authorities: A-Z Guide

Explore this Asian Banknote Issuing Authorities: A-Z Guide to the diverse past & present entities responsible for Asian banknotes across the continent (excluding China), including colonial authorities, treasuries, & central banks that reflect centuries of political and economic change. Each currency vividly represents the unique identity and governance of different periods and territories, with its issuers playing a crucial role in shaping financial histories.

This article meticulously delves into the myriad of these banknote-issuing authorities, examining the entities responsible for currency issuance in historical kingdoms, colonial administrations, and contemporary governments. Presented alphabetically for clarity, this guide also provides corresponding Banknote Book catalog numbers for each authority, offering a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of regional monetary systems.

Abkhazia

National Bank of the Republic of Abkhazia (NBA) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Georgia

Afghanistan

Afghan Treasury (TRE) [B101]
Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) [B301]
Ministry of Finance (FIN) [B201]
Vneshposyltorg (VPT) [B501]

Arab Republic of Yemen

Arab Republic of Yemen (REP) [B101]

Note: For later issues see Yemen

Armenia

Bank of the Republic of Armenia (BRA) [B201]
Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia (CBA) [B301]
Republic of Armenia (REP) [B101]

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Government (GOV) [B101]
Azerbaycan Milli Banki (AMB) [B301]
Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) [B401]
Republic of Azerbaijan (REP) [B201]

Bahrain

Bahrain Currency Board (BCB) [B101]
Bahrain Monetary Agency (BMA) [B201]
Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) [B301]

Note: For earlier issues see India

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Bank (BB) [B301]
Government of Bangladesh (GOV) [B201]
People's Republic of Bangladesh (PRB) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Pakistan

Bhutan

Royal Government of Bhutan (GOV) [B101]
Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan (RMA) [B201]

Note: For earlier issues see India

British North Borneo

British North Borneo Company (BNBC) [B101]

Note: For later issues see Malaya and British Borneo

Brunei

Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) [B301]
Brunei Currency & Monetary Board (BCMB) [B201]
Brunei Currency Board (BCB) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Malaya and British Borneo

Burma

Burma Currency Board (BCB) [B601]
Burma State Bank (BSB) [B401]
Government of India (GOI) [B101]
Government of Burma (GOB) [B701]
Japanese Government (GOV) [B301]
Military Administration of Burma (MAB) [B501]
Peoples Bank of Burma (PBB) [B901]
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) [B201]
Union Bank of Burma (UBB) [B801]
Union of Burma Bank (UOBB) [B1001]

Note: For earlier issues see India; For later issues see Myanmar

Cambodia

Banque Nationale du Cambodge (BNC) [B101]
Khmer Rouge (KR) [B501]
Ministere du Tourisme du Cambodge (MTC) [BFX601]
National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) [B401]
National Bank of Kampuchea (NBK) [B201]
People's Bank of Kampuchea (PBK) [B301]

Note: For earlier issues see French Indo-China

Ceylon

Asiatic Banking Corporation (ABC) [B111]
Bank of Ceylon (BOC) [B041]
Central Bank of Ceylon (CBC) [B301]
Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China (MBI) [B071]
General Treasury (TRE) [B031]
Government of Ceylon (GOV) [B201]
Mercantile Bank of India, London & China (MBI) [B061]
Oriental Bank (ORI) [B091]
Verenigode Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) [B001]

Note: For later issues see Sri Lanka

Democratic Republic of Yemen

Bank of Yemen (BOY) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see South Arabia; For later issues see Yemen

French Cochinchina

Banque de l'Indochine (BIC) [B101]

Note: For later issues see French Indo-China

French India

Banque de l'Indochine (BIC) [B101]

Note: For later issues see India

French Indo-China

Banque de l'Indochine (BIC) [B101]
Institut d'Emission des Etats du Cambodge du Laos et du Vietnam (CLB) [B401]
Central Bank of China (CEN) [B351]
Gouvernement General de l'Indochine (GOV) [B201]
Greater Japan Imperial Government (GJIG) [B301]

Note: For earlier issues see French Cochinchina; For later issues see Cambodia, Laos, South Vietnam, and Vietnam

Georgia

National Bank of Georgia (NBG) [B201]
Republic of Georgia (REP) [B101]
Treasury of the Republic of Georgia (TRE) [B001]

Hedjaz

Arabian National Bank of Hedjaz (ANBH) [B101]

Note: For later issues see Saudi Arabia

Hong Kong

Agra and United Service Bank (AUS) [B501]
Asiatic Banking Corporation (ABC) [B521]
Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOC) [B901]
Bank of Hindustan, China and Japan (HCJ) [B511]
Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China (CMB) [B201]
Commercial Bank Corporation of India and the East [B790]
Government of Hong Kong (GOV) [B801]
Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Company (HSBC) [B601]
Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation [B607]
Mercantile Bank of India (MBI) [B221]
Mercantile Bank Limited (MBL) [B241]
National Bank of China (NBC) [B795]
Oriental Bank (ORI) [B101]
Oriental Bank Corporation [B121]
Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) [B401]
The Chartered Bank (TCB) [B361]
The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China (CBI) [B301]

India

Government of India (GOV) [B101]
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) [B201]

Indonesia

Bank Indonesia (BI) [B501]
Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) [B101]
Nederlansche Indische Civil Administrative (NICA) [B201]
Republik Indonesia (RI) [B401]
Republik Indonesia - Borneo [B421]
Republik Indonesia - Irian Barat [B441]
Republik Indonesia - Riau [B461]
Republik Indonesia Serikat (RIS) [B301]

Note: For earlier issues see Netherlands Indies

Iraq

Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) [B301]
Government of Iraq (GOV) [B101]
National Bank of Iraq (NBI) [B201]

Israel

Anglo-Palestine Bank Limited (APB) [B101]
Bank Leumi le-Israel B.M. (BLI) [B301]
Bank of Israel (BOI) [B401]
State of Israel (SOI) [B201]

Note: For earlier issues see Palestine

Japan

Allied Military Currency (AMC) [B501]
Bank of Japan (BOJ) [B301]
Japanese Government (GOV) [B101]
Japanese National Bank (JNB) [B201]

Jordan

Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) [B201]
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (HKJ) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Palestine

Kazakhstan

National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) [B101]

Kiau Chau

Deutsch-Asiatische Bank (DAB) [B101]
Great Japanese Imperial Government (GJIG) [B201]

Korea

Bank of Chosen (BOC) [B401]
Bank of Korea (BOK) [B301]
First National Bank (FNB) [B201]
Red Army Headquarters (RAH) [B501]
Treasury Department (TRE) [B101]

Note: For later issues see South Korea

Kuwait

Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) [B201]
Kuwait Currency Board (KCB) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see India

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz Bank / Kyrgyzstan Bank (KB) [B201]
Kyrgyz Republic (KR) [B101]

Laos

Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL) [B501]
Banque Nationale du Laos (BNL) [B201]
Lao Issara Government (LIG) [B101]
Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (LPDR) [B401]
Pathet Lao Government (PLG) [B301]

Note: For earlier issues see French Indo-China

Lebanon

Banque de Syrie et du Grand-Liban (BSGL) [B101]
Banque de Syrie et du Liban (BSL) [B201]
Banque du Liban (BDL) [B501]
Republique Libanaise (REP) [B301]

Note: For earlier issues see Syria

Macau

Banco da China (BOC) [B201]
Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU) [B001]

Malaya

Board of Commissioners of Currency (BCC) [B101]
Japanese Government (GOV) [B201]
Sungei Buloh Settlement (SBC) [B151]

Note: For earlier issues see Straits Settlements; For later issues see Malaya and British Borneo

Malaya and British Borneo

Board of Commissioners of Currency (BCC) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see British North Borneo, Malaya, and Sarawak; For later issues see Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore

Malaysia

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Malaya and British Borneo, and Sarawak

Maldives

Government of the Maldives (GOV) [B101]
Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) [B201]

Note: For earlier issues see India and Sri Lanka

Manchukuo

Central Bank of Manchou (CBM) [B101]

Mongolia

State Treasury (TRE) [B101]
Commercial and Industrial Bank (CIB) [B201]
State Bank (SB) [B301]
Mongolbank (MB) [B401]

Muscat and Oman

Sultanate of Muscat and Oman (SMO) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see India

Myanmar

Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Burma

Nagorno Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) [B101]

Note: For earlier and later issues see Azerbaijan

Nepal

Government of Nepal (GOV) [B101]
Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) [B201]

Note: For earlier issues see India

Oman

Central Bank of Oman (CBO) [B201]
Oman Currency Board (OCB) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Muscat and Oman

Pakistan

Government of Pakistan (GOV) [B101]
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) [B201]

Note: For earlier issues see India

Palestine

Palestine Currency Board (PCB) [B100]

Note: For later issues see Israel and Jordan

Philippines

Banco Espanol Filipino (BEF) [B301]
Banco Espanol Filipino de Isabel II (BEI) [B101]
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) [B1001]
Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) [B601]
Central Bank of the Philippines (CBP) [B901]
Japanese Government (GOV) [B801]
Philippine Islands Treasury (TRE) [B501]
Philippine National Bank (NAT) [B701]
Republica Filipina (REP) [B401]
Tesoro (TES) [B201]

Portuguese India

Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU) [B301]
Governo Geral do Estado da India (GGI) [B201]
Junta da Fazenda Publica (JFP) [B101]

Note: For later issues see India

Qatar

Qatar Central Bank (QCB) [B102]
Qatar Monetary Agency(QMA) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Saudi Arabia and Qatar and Dubai

Qatar and Dubai

Qatar and Dubai Currency Board (QDCB) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see India and Saudi Arabia; For later issues see Qatar and United Arab Emirates

Sarawak

Government of Sarawak (GOV) [B201]
Sarawak Government Treasury (TRE) [B101]

Note: For later issues see Malaya and British Borneo

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency / Authority (SAMA) [B101]
Saudi Central Bank (SCB) [B102]

Note: For earlier issues see Hedjaz

Siam

Banque de l'Indochine (BIC) [B401]
Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China (CBI) [B501]
Government of Siam (GOV) [B201]
Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Company (HSBC) [B301]
Royal Siam Treasury (TRE) [B101]

Note: For later issues see Thailand

Singapore

Board of Commissioners of Currency (BCC) [B101]
Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) [B201]

Note: For earlier issues see Malaya and British Borneo

South Arabia

South Arabian Currency Authority (SACA) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see India; For later issues see Democratic Republic of Yemen

South Korea

Bank of Chosen (BOC) [B101]
Bank of Korea (BOK) [B201]

Note: For earlier issues see Korea

South Vietnam

Bank of Vietnam (BOV) [B201]
Central Committee of the Popular Front (NLF) [B301]
Korean Army Headquarters (KAH) [B401]
National Bank of Vietnam (NBV) [B101]
Thai Military (TM) [B501]

Note: For earlier issues see French Indo-China; For later issues see Vietnam

Sri Lanka

Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Ceylon

Straits Settlements

Government of the Straits Settlements (GOV) [B101]

Note: For later issues see Malaya

Syria

Banque Centrale de Syrie (CBS) [B601]
Banque de Syrie (BDS) [B101]
Banque de Syrie et du Grand-Liban (BSGL) [B201]
Banque de Syrie et du Liban (BSL) [B301]
Institut d'Emission de Syrie (IES) [B501]
Republique Syrienne (REP) [B401]

Taiwan

Bank of Taiwan (BOT) [B301]
Central Bank of China (CEN) [B497]
Government of Silver Note Office (GSNO) [B201]
Tainan Provincial Office (TPO) [B101]

Tajikistan

National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) [B201]
National Bank of the Republic of Tajikistan (NBRT) [B101]

Tatarstan

Tatarstan Government (GOV) [B101]

Thailand

Government of Thailand (GOV) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Siam

Tibet

Government of Tibet (GOV) [B101]

Timor

Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU) [B101]

Turkey

Ministry of Finance (FIN) [B101]
Turkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankasi (TCMB) [B201]

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistanyn Merkezi Banky (TMB) [B201]
Turkmenistanyn Merkezi Dowlet Banky (TMDB) [B101]

United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates Central Bank (CBA) [B201]
United Arab Emirates Currency Board (CBO) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Bahrain, India, and Qatar and Dubai

United Arab Republic

Central Bank of the United Arab Republic (CBR) [B101]
Egyptian / UAR Government (GOV) [B201]

Uzbekistan

Bank of Uzbekistan (BOU) [B101]
Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan (CBU) [B201]

Vietnam

Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (BFT) [BFX401]
State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) [B301]

Note: For earlier issues see French Indo-China and South Vietnam

Weiwhaiwei

Bank of China (BOC) [B201]
Bank of Communications (COM) [B101]
National Industrial Bank of China (NIB) [B301]

Yemen

Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) [B101]

Note: For earlier issues see Arab Republic of Yemen and Democratic Republic of Yemen

Due to the extremely large list of issuing authorities of Chinese banknotes, we have not included their names in this article.

The listing of Asia's banknote issuing authorities offers a fascinating glimpse into the continent's rich history. The inclusion of Banknote Book catalog numbers provides a valuable resource for those interested in exploring Asian banknotes in greater detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which countries in Asia have had multiple banknote issuing authorities over time?

A: Many Asian countries have had multiple banknote issuing authorities, reflecting changes in governance and economic periods. Notable examples include Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Siam (Thailand), Singapore, South Korea, South Vietnam, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

Q: How are colonial powers reflected in the list of Asian banknote issuing authorities?

A: Colonial influence is clearly seen through authorities like the Government of India (for British India, Burma, etc.), British North Borneo Company, Banque de l'Indochine (for French territories), and Japanese Government (for WWII occupation issues). These reflect how imperial powers controlled and issued currency in their Asian territories.

Q: What role do central banks play as issuing authorities in Asia?

A: In contemporary Asia, central banks are the primary banknote issuing authorities, symbolizing national sovereignty and managing monetary policy. Examples include Da Afghanistan Bank (Afghanistan), Bank of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia), Azerbaycan Milli Banki (Azerbaijan), Bangladesh Bank (Bangladesh), Bank Negara Malaysia (Malaysia), Central Bank of Myanmar (Myanmar), Nepal Rastra Bank (Nepal), State Bank of Pakistan (Pakistan), and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka).

Q: Why are Chinese banknote issuing authorities not included in this list?

A: Chinese banknote issuing authorities are not included in this article due to their extremely large and complex number. The history of Chinese currency involves a vast array of issuers, which would require a separate, dedicated exploration to cover adequately.