Asian Banknote Issuers: The A–Z Directory Guide

Asian banknote issuers represent one of the most diverse and complex cataloging categories in world numismatics — spanning royal treasuries, private colonial banking cartels, wartime military administrations, and modern Asian central banks across more than six decades of geopolitical transformation. For variety specialists and type set collectors, identifying the specific issuing authority behind a note is the foundational step in mapping regional monetary histories and attributing design varieties to their correct catalog classification.

Across the continent, the responsibility for paper currency has shifted through successive waves of colonial empire, occupation, independence, and institutional modernization — each transition leaving behind a distinct and collectible issuing authority. From colonial currency boards like the Straits Settlements Board of Commissioners of Currency to occupation-era military administrations and the Banque de l’Indochine administering French territorial issues across Southeast Asia, these institutions directly mirror the sovereign boundaries of their time.

This A–Z directory of Asian banknote issuers covers 70+ historic and modern countries and territories across the continent (excluding China), mapping every historic and modern entity responsible for paper currency issuance — a complete reference for collectors researching Asian banknote issuers across all catalog eras — from the earliest colonial concessions through contemporary central banks — with standardized cross-references to official Banknote Book catalog registries for each entry.

Directory of Asian Banknote Issuers by Country

Abkhazia

National Bank of the Republic of Abkhazia (NBA) — [B101]
Note: For earlier regional currency distributions, reference Georgia.

Afghanistan

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

Arab Republic of Yemen

Arab Republic of Yemen (REP) — [B101]
Note: For later regional paper currency issues, reference Yemen.

Armenia

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

Azerbaijan

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

Bahrain

The Bahrain Currency Board is among the Gulf region’s earliest colonial currency boards, preceding the full transition to the Bahrain Monetary Agency and eventually the Central Bank of Bahrain.

Bahrain Currency Board (BCB) — [B101]
Bahrain Monetary Agency (BMA) — [B201]
Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) — [B301]
Note: For earlier circulating paper currency variants, reference India.

Bangladesh

People’s Republic of Bangladesh (PRB) — [B101]
Government of Bangladesh (GOV) — [B201]
Bangladesh Bank (BB) — [B301]
Note: For earlier regional currency distributions, reference Pakistan.

Bhutan

Royal Government of Bhutan (GOV) — [B101]
Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan (RMA) — [B201]
Note: For earlier circulating paper currency variants, reference India.

British North Borneo

British North Borneo Company (BNBC) — [B101]
Note: For later regional paper currency issues, reference Malaya and British Borneo.

Brunei

Brunei Currency Board (BCB) — [B101]
Brunei Currency & Monetary Board (BCMB) — [B201]
Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) — [B301]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency issues, reference Malaya and British Borneo.

Burma

Historically, several distinct Asian banknote issuers have managed the currency vectors of Burma. These entities operated through overlapping periods of colonial governance, wartime Axis occupation, and post-independence socialist transitions. The eventual establishment of the Central Bank of Myanmar represents the region’s broader pattern of Asian central banks replacing transitional issuing structures.

British Burma Issues:
- Government of India (GOI) — [B101] (Explore our deep-dive guide on King George V Burma Overprint Banknotes)
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) — [B201] (Explore our deep-dive guide on Burma Peacock Banknotes)
- Military Administration of Burma (MAB) — [B501] & Burma Currency Board (BCB) — [B601] (Both authorities are analyzed together in our guide on King George VI Burma Overprints)
World War II Japanese Occupation Issues:
- Japanese Government (GOV) — [B301] (Explore our deep-dive guide on Japanese Invasion Money in Burma)
- Burma State Bank (BSB) — [B401] (Explore our deep-dive guide on Burma State Bank Banknotes)
Post-Independence National Regimes:
- Government of Burma (GOB) — [B701] & Union Bank of Burma (UBB) — [B801] (Both classic issues are fully cataloged in our Government & Union Bank of Burma Banknotes Guide)
- Peoples Bank of Burma (PBB) — [B901] (The modern transition era under this authority is detailed in our specialized review of Aung San Burma Banknotes)
- Union of Burma Bank (UOBB) — [B1001] (This authority’s unique printing history is comprehensively covered across our historical breakdown of Burma Odd Denomination Banknotes)
Note: For earlier variants, reference India; for later issues, reference Myanmar.

Cambodia

Banque Nationale du Cambodge (BNC) — [B101]
National Bank of Kampuchea (NBK) — [B201]
People’s Bank of Kampuchea (PBK) — [B301]
National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) — [B401]
Khmer Rouge (KR) — [B501]
Ministere du Tourisme du Cambodge (MTC) — [BFX601]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference French Indo-China.

Ceylon

Verenigode Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) — [B001]
General Treasury (TRE) — [B031]
Bank of Ceylon (BOC) — [B041]
Mercantile Bank of India, London & China (MBI) — [B061]
Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China (MBI) — [B071]
Oriental Bank (ORI) — [B091]
Asiatic Banking Corporation (ABC) — [B111]
Government of Ceylon (GOV) — [B201]
Central Bank of Ceylon (CBC) — [B301]
Note: For later institutional paper currency adjustments, reference Sri Lanka.

Democratic Republic of Yemen

Bank of Yemen (BOY) — [B101]
Note: For earlier variants, reference South Arabia; for later issues, reference Yemen.

French Cochinchina

Banque de l’Indochine (BIC) — [B101]
Note: For later regional paper currency issues, reference French Indo-China.

French India

Banque de l’Indochine (BIC) — [B101]
Note: For later regional paper currency issues, reference India.

French Indo-China

Banque de l’Indochine (BIC) — [B101]
Gouvernement General de l’Indochine (GOV) — [B201]
Greater Japan Imperial Government (GJIG) — [B301]
Central Bank of China (CEN) — [B351]
Institut d’Emission des Etats du Cambodge du Laos et du Vietnam (CLB) — [B401]
Note: For earlier variants, reference French Cochinchina; for later issues, reference Cambodia, Laos, South Vietnam, and Vietnam.

Georgia

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

Hedjaz

Arabian National Bank of Hedjaz (ANBH) — [B101]
Note: For later regional paper currency issues, reference Saudi Arabia.

Hong Kong

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

India

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

Indonesia

Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) — [B101]
Nederlansche Indische Civil Administrative (NICA) — [B201]
Republik Indonesia Serikat (RIS) — [B301]
Republik Indonesia (RI) — [B401]
Republik Indonesia – Borneo — [B421]
Republik Indonesia – Irian Barat — [B441]
Republik Indonesia – Riau — [B461]
Bank Indonesia (BI) — [B501]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference Netherlands Indies.

Iraq

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

Israel

Anglo-Palestine Bank Limited (APB) — [B101]
State of Israel (SOI) — [B201]
Bank Leumi le-Israel B.M. (BLI) — [B301]
Bank of Israel (BOI) — [B401]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference Palestine.

Japan

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

Jordan

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (HKJ) — [B101]
Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) — [B201]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference Palestine.

Kazakhstan

National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) — [B101]

Kiau Chau

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

Korea

Treasury Department (TRE) — [B101]
First National Bank (FNB) — [B201]
Bank of Korea (BOK) — [B301]
Bank of Chosen (BOC) — [B401]
Red Army Headquarters (RAH) — [B501]
Note: For later institutional paper currency adjustments, reference South Korea.

Kuwait

The Kuwait Currency Board operated as one of the last colonial currency boards established in the Middle East before independence-era central banking infrastructure took over.

Kuwait Currency Board (KCB) — [B101]
Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) — [B201]
Note: For earlier circulating paper currency variants, reference India.

Kyrgyzstan

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

Laos

Lao Issara Government (LIG) — [B101]
Banque Nationale du Laos (BNL) — [B201]
Pathet Lao Government (PLG) — [B301]
Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (LPDR) — [B401]
Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL) — [B501]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference French Indo-China.

Lebanon

Banque de Syrie et du Grand-Liban (BSGL) — [B101]
Banque de Syrie et du Liban (BSL) — [B201]
Republique Libanaise (REP) — [B301]
Banque du Liban (BDL) — [B501]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference Syria.

Macau

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

Malaya

The Board of Commissioners of Currency here represents one of the most geographically expansive colonial currency boards in Southeast Asian monetary history, covering territories that would eventually split into three independent nations.

Board of Commissioners of Currency (BCC) — [B101]
Japanese Government (GOV) — [B201]
Sungei Buloh Settlement (SBC) — [B151]
Note: For earlier variants, reference Straits Settlements; for later issues, reference Malaya and British Borneo.

Malaya and British Borneo

Board of Commissioners of Currency (BCC) — [B101]
Note: For earlier variants, reference British North Borneo, Malaya, and Sarawak; for later issues, reference Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Malaysia

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) — [B101]
Note: For earlier variants, reference Malaya and British Borneo, and Sarawak.

Maldives

Government of the Maldives (GOV) — [B101]
Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) — [B201]
Note: For earlier circulating paper currency variants, reference 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

Myanmar

Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) — [B101] (Explore our deep-dive guide on Myanmar Banknotes: Central Bank of Myanmar Catalog Guide)
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference Burma.

Nagorno Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) — [B101]
Note: For earlier and later regional currency configurations, reference Azerbaijan.

Nepal

Early paper currency developments within this geographic block illustrate the changing administrative layout utilized by traditional Asian banknote issuers. Varieties are split cleanly between treasury eras and the autonomous central banking phase established when the Nepal Rastra Bank joined the network of modern Asian central banks in 1956.
Government of Nepal (GOV) — [B101] (Explore our comprehensive Government of Nepal Banknotes (1945–1960) Guide)
Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) — [B201]

Oman

Oman Currency Board (OCB) — [B101]
Central Bank of Oman (CBO) — [B201]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference Muscat and Oman.

Pakistan

Government of Pakistan (GOV) — [B101]
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) — [B201]
Note: For earlier circulating paper currency variants, reference India.

Palestine

Palestine Currency Board (PCB) — [B100]
Note: For later regional paper currency issues, reference Israel and Jordan.

Philippines

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

Portuguese India

Junta da Fazenda Publica (JFP) — [B101]
Governo Geral do Estado da India (GGI) — [B201]
Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU) — [B301]
Note: For later circulating paper currency variants, reference India.

Qatar

Qatar Monetary Agency (QMA) — [B101]
Qatar Central Bank (QCB) — [B102]
Note: For earlier variants, reference Saudi Arabia and Qatar and Dubai.

Qatar and Dubai

Qatar and Dubai Currency Board (QDCB) — [B101]
Note: For earlier variants, reference India and Saudi Arabia; for later issues, reference Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

Sarawak

Sarawak Government Treasury (TRE) — [B101]
Government of Sarawak (GOV) — [B201]
Note: For later regional paper currency issues, reference Malaya and British Borneo.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency / Authority (SAMA) — [B101]
Saudi Central Bank (SCB) — [B102]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference Hedjaz.

Siam

Royal Siam Treasury (TRE) — [B101]
Government of Siam (GOV) — [B201]
Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Company (HSBC) — [B301]
Banque de l’Indochine (BIC) — [B401]
Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China (CBI) — [B501]
Note: For later institutional paper currency adjustments, reference Thailand.

Singapore

Board of Commissioners of Currency (BCC) — [B101]
Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) — [B201]
Note: For earlier variants, reference Malaya and British Borneo.

South Arabia

South Arabian Currency Authority (SACA) — [B101]
Note: For earlier variants, reference India; for later issues, reference Democratic Republic of Yemen.

South Korea

Bank of Chosen (BOC) — [B101]
Bank of Korea (BOK) — [B201]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference Korea.

South Vietnam

National Bank of Vietnam (NBV) — [B101]
Bank of Vietnam (BOV) — [B201]
Central Committee of the Popular Front (NLF) — [B301]
Korean Army Headquarters (KAH) — [B401]
Thai Military (TM) — [B501]
Note: For earlier variants, reference French Indo-China; for later issues, reference Vietnam.

Sri Lanka

Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) — [B101]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference Ceylon.

Straits Settlements

Government of the Straits Settlements (GOV) — [B101]
Note: For later regional paper currency issues, reference Malaya.

Syria

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

Taiwan

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

Tajikistan

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

Tatarstan

Tatarstan Government (GOV) — [B101]

Thailand

Government of Thailand (GOV) — [B101]
Note: For earlier regional paper currency distributions, reference 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 Dowlet Banky (TMDB) — [B101]
Turkmenistanyn Merkezi Banky (TMB) — [B201]

United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates Currency Board (CBO) — [B101]
United Arab Emirates Central Bank (CBA) — [B201]
Note: For earlier variants, reference 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

State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) — [B301]
Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (BFT) — [BFX401]
Note: For earlier variants, reference French Indo-China and South Vietnam.

Weiwhaiwei

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

Yemen

Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) — [B101]
Note: For earlier variants, reference Arab Republic of Yemen and Democratic Republic of Yemen.

The institutional progression documented across this directory — from colonial currency boards through transitional treasuries to sovereign central banks — reflects the full arc of Asian monetary modernization across the twentieth century.

Technical and Geographical Exclusions

Due to the exceptional volume, extensive provincial network, and highly specialized nature of Chinese banknotes, issuers from China are entirely excluded from this guide to maintain clear regional categorization. To review Chinese varieties comprehensively, reference the historical registries maintained by the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money and the Banknote Book. Across all other listed territories, the institutional progression from colonial concession to independent Asian central banks forms the definitive collecting framework.

FAQ: Asian Banknote Issuers

Dozens of Asian territories show deep structural layering, updating their administrative titles alongside governance changes. Prominent multi-issuer nations 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, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Siam (Thailand), Singapore, South Korea, South Vietnam, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen. ach represents a distinct collecting tier within the broader universe of Asian banknote issuers.

Imperial trade structures are preserved inside specific institutional titles, such as the Government of India (administering early British Indian, Burmese, and regional Pakistani values), the British North Borneo Company, the French Banque de l’Indochine, and the Japanese Government (authorizing various WWII occupation issues). Alongside these, colonial currency boards such as the Palestine Currency Board, the Kuwait Currency Board, and the Board of Commissioners of Currency in Malaya represent a distinct institutional tier between pure colonial administration and full central banking independence.

In contemporary commerce, Asian central banks serve as the absolute legal tender authorities for their respective nations, representing sovereign monetary independence and managing unified fiscal policies. These modern Asian central banks replaced colonial boards and transitional treasury administrations across the continent — institutions like the Bangladesh Bank, Bank Negara Malaysia, the Central Bank of Myanmar, the Nepal Rastra Bank, and the State Bank of Pakistan now anchor their national paper currency systems.

Issuers operating within China are excluded from our Asian banknote issuers directory due to the massive complexity and high volume of its provincial, commercial, imperial, and military paper money printings. To prevent cluttering, these entries are isolated within their own specialized indexing guides.

Siam represents the foundational historical era before institutional re-branding shifted the plates over to the modern Government of Thailand designation, making them separate target nodes for type set assembly.