On the front side of rupee banknotes, denominations are printed in Hindi and English. Rupees are printed in 15 different languages. Despite many attempts by the British to introduce the pound sterling in India, the rupiya grew in popularity and was even exported as a currency to other British colonies. Even when the British East India Company set up shop in India in the 1600s, Sher Shah’s silver rupiya remained popular. The modern rupee is a descendant of the rupiya issued by Sher Shah Suri in 1540, which remained in use during the Mughal period, Maratha period, and British colonization. The earliest coins were made of silver and were of a standard weight, but they had irregular shapes and varied markings. The word rupee is derived from the Sanskrit word “rupyakam,” meaning “silver coin.”Īncient India was one of the earliest issuers of coins as currency in the world.

The new banknote designs introduced in 2016 came with distinct colors for each denomination: The new bills were smaller in size than the previous versions. In 2016, alongside major monetary reforms, the Indian government introduced new rupee banknotes, all featuring Mahatma Gandhi. The Indian rupee banknotes are frequently updated with new designs, and depictions of Mahatma Gandhi are a frequent feature on printed banknotes. Gandhi is currently printed on all rupee banknotes. Further reading 8 interesting facts about Indian currencyġ.

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