UPDATE NOV 9, 2016: All existing bank notes of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 are no longer a legal tender from today. This blog post, therefore, is redundant. The security features of the new Rs.500 and Rs.2000 notes, being introduced from Nov 10, 2016, will be discussed in a later post.
Some time back, in my blog post How to spot a fake Rs.500 banknote, I had listed the 11 security features that you would find on a Rs.500 banknote.
RBI now proposes new / revised security features on the notes of denominations Rs.50, Rs.500 and Rs.1000.
Let's look at the various modifications now being incorporated in various banknotes, by the Reserve Bank of India.
Three sets of 2-1-2 lines will be printed on the front of a Rs.500 note. These five angular bleed lines will appear near the upper left and upper right edges of the note.
Rs.1000 notes will have four such sets of 1-2-2-1 angular bleed lines, near the upper left and upper right edges of the note.
This is one more security feature, to distinguish genuine banknotes from the fake counterfeit ones. It would also help the visually impaired, to identify the denomination of the note.
Rs.500 banknote has a circular shape identification mark near the left edge of the note.
In Rs.1000 notes this mark is in the form of a diamond.
For ease in identification, these marks are being enlarged in size, in the new notes to be printed henceforth.
This features will help the visually impaired persons to identify the denomination of the note. Further, it would help to distinguish them from the fake counterfeit banknotes.
c) Serial number with ascending size of numerals in Rs.50, Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes
As you may recollect, few months ago, RBI had introduced a new numbering pattern in the Rs.100 banknotes.
The same feature is now being extended to the Rs.50, Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes.
Accordingly, the newly printed Rs.50, Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes would have the following features added:
- the numeric part of the serial number will be ascending in size from left to right
- prefix i.e. the first three alpha-numeric characters would continue to be constant in size
- this change will reflect on both the number panels
- year of printing '2015' would be printed on the reverse
- the notes will bear RBI Governor Dr. Raghuram Rajan's signature
In all other respects, the new note will be similar to ones issued earlier, under the Mahatma Gandhi Series - 2005.
Also, as in case of the Rs.100 note, Rs.50 banknotes too would have an inset letter 'R' in the number panel. However, there will no inset letter in the number panels of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 banknotes.
Needless to mention, all the banknotes of various denominations printed and circulated earlier by the RBI, will continue to be a legal tender.
Some time back, in my blog post How to spot a fake Rs.500 banknote, I had listed the 11 security features that you would find on a Rs.500 banknote.
RBI now proposes new / revised security features on the notes of denominations Rs.50, Rs.500 and Rs.1000.
Let's look at the various modifications now being incorporated in various banknotes, by the Reserve Bank of India.
a) Bleed lines on Rs.500 and Rs.1000 banknotes
Three sets of 2-1-2 lines will be printed on the front of a Rs.500 note. These five angular bleed lines will appear near the upper left and upper right edges of the note.
Rs.1000 notes will have four such sets of 1-2-2-1 angular bleed lines, near the upper left and upper right edges of the note.
This is one more security feature, to distinguish genuine banknotes from the fake counterfeit ones. It would also help the visually impaired, to identify the denomination of the note.
b) Enlarged identification mark on Rs.500 and Rs.1000 banknotes
Rs.500 banknote has a circular shape identification mark near the left edge of the note.
In Rs.1000 notes this mark is in the form of a diamond.
For ease in identification, these marks are being enlarged in size, in the new notes to be printed henceforth.
This features will help the visually impaired persons to identify the denomination of the note. Further, it would help to distinguish them from the fake counterfeit banknotes.
c) Serial number with ascending size of numerals in Rs.50, Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes
As you may recollect, few months ago, RBI had introduced a new numbering pattern in the Rs.100 banknotes.
The same feature is now being extended to the Rs.50, Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes.
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| Numerals in Ascending Size with Inset 'R' in a Rs.50 banknote. |
Accordingly, the newly printed Rs.50, Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes would have the following features added:
- the numeric part of the serial number will be ascending in size from left to right
- prefix i.e. the first three alpha-numeric characters would continue to be constant in size
- this change will reflect on both the number panels
- year of printing '2015' would be printed on the reverse
- the notes will bear RBI Governor Dr. Raghuram Rajan's signature
In all other respects, the new note will be similar to ones issued earlier, under the Mahatma Gandhi Series - 2005.
Also, as in case of the Rs.100 note, Rs.50 banknotes too would have an inset letter 'R' in the number panel. However, there will no inset letter in the number panels of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 banknotes.
Needless to mention, all the banknotes of various denominations printed and circulated earlier by the RBI, will continue to be a legal tender.
