HOW ARE BANKNOTES PRINTED?


Paper money needs to he designed and made in such a way that it is very difficult to forge. Banknotes have extremely complicated designs, with pictures and backgrounds made up of very fine lines and patterns. These are printed from hand-engraved steel plates. The notes are also printed on a special type of paper, which is hardwearing and has a strip of plastic or metal embedded in it.



Banknote Design



The banknote design typically starts with the compiling and reviewing of historical information, images, Thai patterns, and other elements related to the main theme to be depicted on a banknote. In early days, due to the limited availability of equipment and tools, each new banknote design was to be hand - drawn elaborately in color. To this day, banknote designers still need to possess both artistic skillfulness and computer expertise to create the best design and origination for a banknote. In designing banknote, factors to be considered are:




  • Gracefulness 

  • Convenience

  • Cultural identity 

  • Technical limits 

  • Counterfeit deterrence feature



Platemaking 



Having obtained the design, hand engraving of metallic plates and drawing of design of the original plate is performed by highly skilled and experienced specialists so as to achieve the high degree of precision, tonal variation and perspective requirements for banknotes. The background patterns, formerly etched by machine, are now created by computer programs.



Platemaking 



    1)  Offset Printing?



The background design is printed first by dry offset on a specially designed printing press that is able to print high-precision color patterns on both sides of the sheets simultaneously.  This makes it possible to produce perfect front and back registered designs or see through designs when viewed against transmitted light, one of efficient techniques to discourage counterfeiting.? 



    2)  Intaglio Printing?



This process is used to add the portrait of H.M. the King and other raised prints on the front of the note. The image to be printed is inscribed into the plates. The inscriptions are filled with ink, and excess ink is wiped from the plates. Heavy pressure is applied to transfer the ink from the plates to the pager, leaving the surface slightly raised. This process gives banknotes a tactile feel to the touch, proven to be very effective in counterfeit deterrence.?



   3) Letterpress Printing ?



Every printed sheet is carefully inspected. The good sheets are sent to printed serial number and signature by letterpress method, while imperfect or bad sheets are taken out of the system to be duly destroyed. The printing machine also has electronic numbering control to protect from miss - printing the numbering. This type of control helps prevent the repeat of numbering printed on each banknote of the same category.



Printed Sheet Inspection ??



The bank sheet then passes through a quality inspection and verification process that is one of the most important steps of the entire banknote production process. The inspection process is a process that screens good quality, partially damaged and mis-printed bank sheets from each other.  Also, the quantity of sheets produced is assured by counting and verifying after finishing the inspection process.    



The inspection and verification process is a process of screening the bank sheets into 3 categories;            



1. Good quality sheet are those where every individual banknote has met the quality standard, which are then separated into the "good numbering" printing category.



2. Partially damaged sheets are those that most parts pass the quality standard. This set will be separated into the "partial numbering" printing category.



3. Bad sheets are those that do not pass the quality standard. This set of banknotes is sent to be destroyed and the number of replacement sheet is carefully matched to the number destroyed. 



After serial numbering, the 100 % good sheets move on to cutting and packaging. Partially good sheets are cut, and defective notes are sorted out and replaced by special notes before being shrink - wrapped for delivery.






Where would you use a rouble, yen, rupee, drachma and guilder?


You would use a rouble in the Soviet Union, a Yen in Japan, a rupee in India and Pakistan, a drachma in Greece, and a guilder in Holland. They are all units of the monitory systems of those countries.



     The rouble, which is divided into 100Kopeks, was the name for silver bar money which was in use in Russia from the 14th to the 17th century. Peter the great set up the modern system of coins, and the silver bar money was abolished.



     The Yen was originally a gold coin, but was changed to silver. A one Yen coin is now made of aluminum and the five and ten yen pieces are made of nickel.



    The word rupee means “silver coin”. It came into use in 1542 when the Sultan of Delhi, Sher Sha, reorganized the currency. It was kept as a monitor unit and is now divided into 100 noye paise (new paisas). Large amounts of rupee have special names: a lakh is 100,000 and a crore is ten million rupees.



    The drachma, in Ancient Greece was a silver coin and also a measure of weight. There were 100 drachmae to one mina which weighted about one pound. The modern drachma is divided into 100 lepta.



        The guilder, which is the currency of the Netherlands and its overseas territories, is divided into 100%. This unit of currency spread to Northern Europe from Florence in Italy and is also used under the name of florin


How does a currency counting machine work?

          There are thousands of banks in the world where currency notes are counted and packed in the denominations of hundreds. Job of counting and packing is done by a large number of people. The job of counting the currency notes is quite boring. Scientists have developed a machine which automatically counts and packs the currency notes. This machine is a wonder of electronics.

          Working principles of a currency counting machine is shown schematically in the figure. The bundle of notes to be counted is placed on platform P-1. These notes are pushed in the forward direction by a feeding roller R-1. These notes are counted by a sensor S-1. Thereafter the notes pass through the rollers R-2 and R-3 and channel C-1. Through the channel the notes reach the sensor S-2. In case of any error in counting, S-2 will shut the motor automatically and display the mistake. After sensor S-2, rollers R-4 and R-5 pick up the notes and throw them into the slots of the centrifuge roller. These notes are released as they reach the platform P-2 and start stacking upon it. This platform is equipped with another sensor S-3 which indicates whether P-2 is empty or loaded.



           It is a microprocessor based machine and hence its reliability is very high. These machines can not only count currency notes but also the coins. These are portable machines and can be installed anywhere. Nowadays these machines are being used by many banks.


When did people first use money?

          Money has always fascinated mankind from the time of Aristotle to the present day. Aristotle observed that man is a social being and establishes certain norms and regulations for their social interaction. Men employed money as a mode of exchange to facilitate such social dealings from their economical aspect.

          In the primitive societies, when people wanted to buy anything they had to give something else in exchange for it. For example, if a potter wanted to buy rice from a farmer, he offered him earthenware pots in exchange. The farmer would accept them because he needed pots. This was called the barter system which involved goods in exchange of goods. During those times goods served the purpose of money. But with the development of trade, the barter system could not meet the growing demands of a convenient exchange system for buying and selling. People started using token or symbolic goods in exchange all over the world. American Indians used beads of shells, Fijians used whale’s teeth and North Americans used tobacco in their exchange system. The Roman army men were provided salt for their services. But the topic of our interest is: when was coin first used as money? 



 


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How did banks start?


The word ‘bank’ is derived from the Italian word ‘Banco’ which means bench. In the Middle Ages, Italians used to conduct their commercial transactions while sitting on the bench. Later, this very word ‘banco’ underwent changes and became ‘bank’. Now, all the countries of the world have banking systems. Do you know how the banks started?



               Initially money lending and banking was done by the Jews and later on by goldsmiths. Merchants, in fact, paid the goldsmiths to look after their surplus cash. These goldsmiths gave receipts like a bank note to the merchants for the cash, they deposited with them. Not only that, they could lend a part of that money to others earning an interest from them. They could thus make extra money. A part of thus earned money, they gave to the merchants as an incentive to deposit money with them. This was the starting point of the savings bank or the deposit scheme in the banks at a later date.





                 Merchants also wrote letters to the goldsmiths to pay another merchant from their deposited money. This amounted to issue of “cheques”. The modern banking system started in Venice in 1587, and in the same year the “Banco di Rialto” was established. People could deposit money in this bank and could draw when they needed it. In 1619 ‘Banco di Giro’ took over the management of this bank. People could deposit even their gold and silver items in this bank for which the bank issued receipts. These receipts were used as currency notes.



                 The first bank in the U.S.A. was set up in Philadelphia in the year 1782. In England, the first bank was started in the year 1825. In India, the first bank, the Presidency Bank of Bombay, was established in 1804.



                  However, the first full-fledged Indian bank was the Punjab National Bank, which was started in 1894. The Government established the Reserve Bank of India in April 1935. This bank issues all the currency notes and coins for circulation in the country. Today, a large number of banks have been established in all the countries of the world.



                  In the beginnings, Banks had only two functions, namely to receive money and to give loans on interest. Nowadays, Banks serve many other purposes such as giving credit cards and foreign currency to people going abroad. Banks also provide us the facility of lockers to keep our valuable jewellery.



 


Why is it said that the arrival of British changed Indian coinage system?

        By 1717, the British started to produce Mughal money at the Bombay Mint, with permission from the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar. The British gold coins were called ‘carolina’; ‘anglina’ was the silver coin, and ‘copperoon’, the copper coins. Tinnies were tin coins.

           A century later, the British rose as the most dominant power in the country. In 1835, they enacted the Coinage Act for uniform coinage. As a primary step, coins with images of William IV were issued in the same year.



     


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Why is it said that India, post its Independence witnessed a new generation of coins?


Even though the British left India in 1947, the coins they issued remained in use till 1950. The first coins made since then belonged to the ‘anna series’. They were traditional in design, and followed the metric system.



Introduced on August 15th, 1950, the coins of the anna series replaced the king’s portrait with the lion capital of the Asoka pillar. It represented peace and non-violence. The one rupee coins also had a sheaf of corn on one side. Sixteen annas together made a rupee.



The pillar and the corn images were among the many Indian motifs that appeared on the coins, post-independence.



The introduction of the ‘decimal series’ took place in September 1955, with the Indian Coinage Act. Thereafter, a rupee consisted of 100 paisas instead of annas or pice. You could say annas and pice were ‘demonetized’.



The naya paise were minted in the denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50. In 1964, the word ‘naya’ was dropped.



Nickel, cupro nickel, bronze and nickel brass were the metals used in coins till 1963. Later, coins made of aluminium were used. Since 1992, coins were minted mostly in stainless steel.



All these coins came out in different shapes. While most of them were circular, some were also hexagonal, 8-scalloped, and square in shape.



In June 2011, all the coins in the denominations of 25ps were taken out of currency.



The country’s first bimetallic coin - of Rs 10 - was released in 2005 under theme of ‘unity in diversity’. 


Why are commemorative coins important?

         Commemorative coins are usually issued to pay respect to an important person, or to celebrate a special occasion.

         The first such coin in modern India was issued in 1964. It had a portrait of Jawaharlal Nehru, and was issued to commemorate his birth anniversary. Since then, many coins have been issued by our country for general circulation. Coins from 5 paise to Rs 150 have been made for commemoration. Most of them were not for circulation, but for preservation as specimens.



             In 1985, the country issued three coins dedicated to Indira Gandhi. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the International Labour Organization, India issued three coins on October 27th, 1994. In 1996, a commemorative coin was issued on the World Population Day.



            There were also coins minted to celebrate the platinum jubilee of the Reserve Bank, the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore and the 1000th year of establishment of the Brihadeeswara Temple. In 2016, coins were issued to mark the 150th anniversary of the Allahabad High Court.          


What is the source of the word ‘rupee’?

          You might know by now that the rupee is a currency used by many countries in the world, including Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Maldives other than India. But do you know where the word ‘rupee’ came from?

          ‘Rupiye’ is known to have been derived from the Sanskrit word ‘rupaa’ which means ‘silver’ or ‘made of silver’. Further, ‘rupaa’ is believed to have sprung from the Dravidian word ‘uruppu’, which means a ‘member of the body’.



          References about ‘rupiye’ first appeared in ancient texts. Arthasastra, a legendary work by Chanakya mentions ‘rupyarupa’ in the context of silver coins. He also used the terms suvarnarupa, tamararupa and sisarupa for gold, copper and lead coins.



          However, the introduction of ‘rupiya’ to Medieval India was made by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri, sometime between 1540 and 1545. Rupiya was the term used for silver coins weighing 178 grains. The coin remained in use throughout the Mughal and the Maratha periods, as well as in the British India.


Why is it said that the history of Indian rupee is unique?

       Over the years since its introduction, the Indian rupee has gone through significant changes. We saw that the rupee coin was first introduced by Sher Shah Suri. During his time, 40 copper coins amounted to a rupee. This was accepted by the Mughals as well.

        The Bank of Hindustan was established by the British. In 1770, one rupee notes were published in the Bank of Hindustan. Following this, some private banks too issued banknotes.



        In 1861, the Paper Currency Act was passed, making it a rule that only the government could issue currencies.



          In 1935, the Reserve Bank of India was inaugurated, and it took over as the government’s body to issue currencies. The first note it issued was that of five rupees, bearing the image of King George VI.



          The first note to be published after the Independence was a one-rupee note. Since then, many changes have come to currencies. A bank-note of 10,000 rupees was printed and circulated, making it the highest denomination issued. Over the years, many currency notes were demonetized, and new series were introduced. 


Why is it said that after the independence, India’s currency system changed?

      We saw that the first bank note to be issued after the Independence was the one-rupee note with the symbol of the lion capital. Starting from 1951, inscriptions on notes were made in Hindi too.

      The following years saw many changes in currencies. Various themes were adopted, including the advancement of the country in science and technology. Even in the latest banknotes that appeared recently, there was a new theme Mangalyan.



      Many notes were introduced, and many were demonetized over the decades. In 1954, there were note of denomination including 1000, 5000, and 10,000. In 2010, the new currency symbol of rupee was introduced, that which we still use.



      All these notes, if you look at carefully, have an inscription of ‘Satyamev Jayate’. This was an addition made in 1980.



      In the latest banknotes issued in November 2016, there are a few more additions. The use of Devanagari numerals also marks a change from tradition.



 


Why is the Mahatma Gandhi series special?

        The series of banknotes issued by the Reserve Bank of India that bears the portrait of Gandhiji is known as the Mahatma Gandhi series.



        Introduced in 1996, this series replaced all previous banknotes that were valid till then, and became our legal tender. The first notes to be printed in the Mahatma Gandhi series were in denominations of Rs 10 and Rs 500.



        There are many features for the series, including a security thread, optical fibre, and the intaglio print. The embedded security thread in the notes can be seen as a vertical line when held against light. They also have optical fibres that glow when exposed to ultraviolet light. The number panels, on the other hand, are printed with fluorescent ink.



        You can guess why these notes are equipped with such security elements- to prevent counterfeit. But many notes were duplicated. So, as the next step, the government has issued the Mahatma Gandhi new series replacing the older one, from November 2016. The first notes in this series are of the denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 2000. 





 

What is meant by star series notes?

        Star series notes, in its simplest definition, are replacement notes for errors in printing.

         You may be aware that banknote production is a one complicated process which involves several steps. Let’s try to understand it with the example of a Rs 100 note. They are usually issued in bundles of Rs 100 notes and each note is placed in a sequential serial order. During the process of production, especially during numbering, there could be errors that disturb the continuity of the series. These notes are then replaced. This is where notes of the star series are used.



           Star series notes are inserted, replacing defective notes in a bundle that is arranged in a particular sequential order.



           They are printed with a star symbol in the numbering panel. For example 9AA*034801. There is a prefix of three characters before the symbol, as well as a six-digit serial number that follows. The series was introduced by the Reserve Bank in 2006.


Which are the other countries that use the rupee as their legal tender?

           There are many countries in the world that use the ‘rupee’ as their currency. This includes Indonesia, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles and Sri Lanka, apart from our own India.



             It would however be wrong to say that they are all one and the same. The value and denominations of these ‘rupees’ are different in all these countries. They depend on the respective country’s economy, and monetary policy.



             The units of currencies too are different in each country. While Indian and Pakistani rupees me further divided into ‘paise’, the unit in the Maldives is ‘rufiyah’. In Sri Lanka, they are ‘cents’. A Nepalese rupee, on the other hand, is equal to 100 paisa or four sukas, or two mohors.



            But the rupee sign, given as ‘Rs’, is the same in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and the Maldives. Till July 15th 2010 India too used this as the currency sign. 





 

Why is the clause ‘I promise to pay’ written on the bank notes?

       Ever noticed a small clause written on our banknotes? If you haven’t, take a close look at it. It is the promissory note, along with the signature of the RBI Governor.

         Let’s take an example. The promissory clause printed on the banknotes that read as ‘I promise to pay the bearer the sum of one hundred Rupees’ means that the banknote with you is a legal tender for the given amount. It is also the promise made by the Governor of the central bank.



            The clause acts as a written guarantee made by the bank regarding the genuineness of note, and its value. It is invariably seen on all banknotes printed in the country.