Banknotes of Hyderabad

The banknotes of Hyderabad were issued from 1918 until 1953. The ruling Nizam of Hyderabad was Mir Osman Ali Khan. Notes issued as early as 1916 have been reported. Hyderabad was the only Indian Princely State that was permitted to continue issuing its own notes after being united into the Dominion of India in 1948 and the Republic of India in 1950. The Hyderabadi rupee was an independent currency separate from the Indian rupee.

The notes are dated in the Fasli Era, so adding 589 to the FE date will convert it to the AD date.

In 1932, a quantity of unissued, but water stained Hyderabadi notes in 5, 10, and 100 rupee denominations were recovered from the "S.S. Egypt", which sank off the island of Ushant near Brest, northern France in 1922. Many of these were given a special stamping and sold as souvenirs. These notes were in the process of being shipped from England where they had been printed. These notes are of historic interest to notaphilists. Some of the notes are printed slightly later than the dates that they bear.

The doble letter serial number prefix determines what series the note is located in. Some of the 1939-53 issues have a single serial number prefix series code letter.

ignature chart

The signature also provides a clue to the approximate period when a note was issued. It is not yet certain what titles the signatories held (in English), as the inscriptions are in Urdu.

Sir Reginald R. Clancy (1918-19).

Fakhr-ud-Din Ahmad (1919-20).

Hyder Nawaz Jung (1921-36).

Fakhr-Yar Jung (1936-38 and 1940-41).

Mehdi Yar Jung (1939).

Ghulam Muhammad (1941-45).

Liaquat Jung (1945 and 1946-47).

Zahed Husain (1945-46).

Zahed Jung (1946).

Moin Nawaz Jung (1947-48).

D.R. Pradhan (1948-49).

C.V.S. Rao (1950).

Dr. G.S. Melkote (1950-53).

First issue (1916/18-19). Sir Reginald R. Clancy

*PS261. 1 rupee. ND. (1919). Black on peach underprint. Back light brown.

*PS262. 1 rupee. ND. (1919). Bicoloured.

*PS264. 10 rupees. FE1327. (1916). Yellow-brown and black on lilac underprint. Series AB.

econd issue (1919-20). Fakhr-ud-Din Ahmad

*PS263a. 5 rupees. FE1331. (1920). Green. Series IQ. Without signature. Sea salvage note (most with special stamping). Unissued.

*PS265a. 10 rupees. FE1331. (1920). Yellow-brown and black on lilac underprint. Series AI. Without signature. Sea salvage note (most with special stamping). Unissued.

*PS266a. 100 rupees. FE1331. (1920). Blue and black on tan underprint. Series PS. Without signature. Sea salvage note (most with special stamping). Unissued.

Third issue (1921-36). Hyder Nawaz Jung

*PS263b. 5 rupees. FE1337. (1926). Green. Series LX.

*PS263c. 5 rupees. FE1346. (1935). Green. Series MC.

*PS265b. 10 rupees. FE1333. (1922). Yellow-brown and black on lilac underprint. Series AN.

*PS265c. 10 rupees. FE1338. (1927). Series ?.

*PS265d. 10 rupees. FE1339. (1928). Series BK.

*PS265e. 10 rupees. FE1342. (1931). Series BW.

*PS265f. 10 rupees. FE1344. (1933). Series ?.

*PS265g. 10 rupees. FE1346. (1935). Series CH.

*PS266b. 100 rupees. FE1339. (1928). Blue and black on tan underprint. Series PY-PZ.

*PS266c. 100 rupees. FE1339. (1928). Series QA.

*PS266d. 100 rupees. FE1334. (1923). Series PT.

*PS267. 1,000 rupees. FE1340. (1929); FE1341. (1930). Red and black on light green underprint.

Forth issue (1936-38). Fakhr-Yar Jung (1st time)

*PS263d. 5 rupees. FE1347. (1936). Green. Series MD-ME.

*PS265h. 10 rupees. FE1347. (1936). Yellow-brown and black on lilac underprint.

*PS273a. 5 rupees. ND. (1938; 1940-41). Green and multicoloured.

*PS274a. 10 rupees. ND. (1938; 1940-41). Light brown and multicoloured.

*PS275a. 100 rupees. ND. (1938; 1940-41). Blue and multicoloured. Series QC.

Fifth issue (1939). Mehdi Yar Jung

*PS271a. 1 rupee. ND. (1939). Brown and multicoloured. Series A.

*PS273b. 5 rupees. ND. (1939). Green and multicoloured.

*PS274b. 10 rupees. ND. (1939). Light brown and multicoloured.

*PS275b. 100 rupees. ND. (1939). Blue and multicoloured. Series QF and QH-QJ.

ixth issue (1940-41). Fakhr-Yar Jung (2nd time)

*PS271b. 1 rupee. ND. (1940-41). Brown and multicoloured. Series B-M.

eventh issue (1941-45). Ghulam Muhammad

*PS271c. 1 rupee. ND. (1941-45). Brown and multicoloured. Series B-X. (Two signatories).

*PS273c. 5 rupees. ND. (1941-45). Green and multicoloured.

*PS274c. 10 rupees. ND. (1941-45). Light brown and multicoloured.

*PS275c. 100 rupees. ND (1941-45). Blue and multicoloured. Series QN and QP.

Eighth issue (1945). Liaquat Jung (1st time)

*PS271c. 1 rupee. ND. (1945). Brown and multicoloured. Series B-X. (Two signatories).

*PS275d. 100 rupees. ND. (1945; 1946-47). Blue and multicoloured. Series QS.

Ninth issue (1945-46). Zahed Husain

*PS271d. 1 rupee. ND. (1945-46). Brown and multicoloured. Series S-W.

*PS272b. 1 rupee. ND. (1945-46).

*PS273d. 5 rupees. ND. (1945-46). Green and multicoloured.

*PS274d. 10 rupees. ND. (1945-46). Light brown and multicoloured.

*PS275e. 100 rupees. ND. (1945-46). Blue and multicoloured. Series QY.

Tenth issue(1946). Zahed Jung

*PS271e. 1 rupee. ND. (1946). Brown and multicoloured. Series X-Y.

*PS272c. 1 rupee. ND. (1946).

Eleventh issue (1946-47). Liaquat Jung (2nd time)

*PS272a. 1 rupee. ND. (1946-47). Brown and multicoloured. Series Z and AB.

*PS273e. 5 rupees. ND. (1946-47). Green and multicoloured.

*PS274e. 10 rupees. ND. (1946-47). Light brown and multicoloured.

Twelfth issue (1947-48). Moin Nawaz Jung

This issue is historic as it was issued in the short period that Hyderabad attempted to become independent as a constitutional monarchy with the British Commonwealth.

*PS272d. 1 rupee. ND. (1947-48). Brown and multicoloured.

Thirteenth issue (1948-49). D.R. Pradhan

This issue was the first issue after Hyderabad was forcibly incorporated into the Dominion of India as a result of an invasion codenamed 'Operation Polo'.

*PS272e. 1 rupee. ND. (1948-49). Brown and multicoloured.

Fourteenth issue (1950). C.V.S. Rao

This issue was the first issue after India became a republic (26 January 1950.

*PS272f. 1 rupee. ND. (1950). Brown and multicoloured.

Fifteenth issue (1950-53). Dr. G.S. Melkote

*PS272g. 1 rupee. ND. (1950-53). Brown and multicoloured.

References

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