Question 1

Was the King George VI 1 Rupee banknote the first paper rupee issued in India?

Accepted Answer

No. The first Government of India 1 Rupee paper note was introduced in 1917 featuring King George V, in response to silver shortages during World War I. A second King George V 1 Rupee variety followed in 1940. The King George VI 1 Rupee note, introduced in 1944, was the third distinct paper rupee series.

Question 2

Why was the 1 Rupee note issued by the Government of India and not the Reserve Bank of India?

Accepted Answer

Under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the minimum denomination the Reserve Bank was authorized to issue was five rupees, later reduced to two rupees. The 1 Rupee denomination fell below this legal threshold and therefore remained a direct Government of India issue.

Question 3

Who signed the King George VI 1 Rupee note?

Accepted Answer

All varieties carry the signature of C.E. Jones, Secretary to the Finance Department.

Question 4

Why does the note not carry a promise-to-pay clause?

Accepted Answer

The note was legally treated as a paper representation of the rupee coin rather than as a conventional banknote. This classification placed it outside the Reserve Bank of India framework and removed the requirement for the standard promise-to-pay wording.

Question 5

What does the reverse of the note depict?

Accepted Answer

The reverse carries an engraved representation of the reverse of the 1940 Indian 1 Rupee coin, reinforcing the legal and symbolic connection between the paper note and the coin denomination it supplemented, alongside a multilingual denomination panel in seven scripts reflecting India's linguistic diversity.

Question 6

What are the main King George VI 1 Rupee note varieties?

Accepted Answer

The series comprises eight catalogued varieties: three British India issues distinguished by serial number color and inset, one Dominion of India transitional issue, two Military Administration of Burma overprints, one Burma Currency Board overprint, and one Government of Pakistan engraved plate issue.

Question 7

How does the Pakistan issue differ from the Burma overprints?

Accepted Answer

The Burma issues carry red surface overprints applied to existing Government of India notes. The Pakistan issue incorporated the territorial inscription — "Government of Pakistan" and its Urdu equivalent — directly into the printing plate. The inscription is part of the original printed design, not a later addition.

Pakistan

King George VI 1 Rupee Banknote: Asia Wartime Currency

Pakistan King George VI Banknotes: 1948 Provisional Issues