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The Princely State of Hyderabad was known as "The Dominion of His Exalted Highness,The Nizam".It was created by Mir Kamruddin Ali Khan,better known as Nizam-ul-Mulk or Asaf Jah I.Since then,his descendents administered teh Kingdom till 1948 when Hyderabad ceased to exist as a princely state ans was absorbed in india.In the present day the erstwhile Nizam's dominion forms parts of Andhra Pradesh,Karnataka and Maharashtra states.
The British Government conferred the Rights of coining metallic currency to thirty-four-Princely States,Hyderabad being one of them.
Currency situation of Hyderabad State had become serious during the World War I (1914-1917).It was unable to meet money demand of the market due to shortage of silver.
In 1917,under forced circumstances,the Government of India permitted the Hyderabad State to issue paper money.
The Hyderabad Currency Act(No.II of 1327 Fasil-1917/1918) was proposed which received the assent of H.E.H.Mir Nizam Osman Ali Khan on Tor 30.1327 Fasli (June 04,1918).The currency was denominated as 'Rupiya Sicca Osmania',which was named after the Nizam.An order for printing notes was placed with waterlow & sons Ltd.The currency Act came into force in 1918.In the same year the Khazana-i-Amira (Royal Treasury) issued the first currency notes of Hyderabad in the denomination of Rupees 10 and Rupees 100.The currency was signed by the Sadr-ul-Muham Finance or Moin-ul-Muham Finance.
To further facilitate money circulation amongst the general public,it was decided in 1918 to issue small denominational currency notes of Rupee 1 and Rupees 5.They came into circulation in 1919 after they arrived from Waterlow & Sons,London.The text of all currency notes were printed in Urdu and these were called Karansi Note Sarkar-e-Ali.The Rupees 1000 note was issued in 1926.These Notes had their date in Fasli calender.The Fasli calender had been introduced in the Deccan region during the Mughal ere and was continued as the official calendar of the Asif Jah rulers of the Hyderabad State.
Initially,all the notes in London were received unsigned in India.The signature impressed by a machine at the Hyderabad State's mint till 1925.In that year,the printing of the signature at the Hyderabad mint press was discontinued and the notes were received with printed signature direct from the printers in London.
The first Rupee One note was discontinued in 1920 due to their lack of popularity and due to it being "back"in colour.This Rupee One note was withdrawn from circulation in March 1939.
Water low & Sons continued printing Hyderabad Notes of all the other denominations till 1936 when their printing contract was terminated.
In 1938,the printing of Rupees5,Rupees 10,Rupees 100 and Rupees 1000 notes was entrusted to the Government of India Security Press In Nasik.They were numbered in continuation of the serial numbers of the earlier notes.In 1943 the currency crisis arising out of the scarcity of silver in the Second World War necessitated Hyderabad Government to re-introduce Rupee One Notes.The order for the supply of these Notes was placed with the Nasik Security Press.The Nasik Press,under certain circumstances beyond its control,expressed their inability to execute the order.
Thereupon this work was entrusted tot he Government Central Press at Malakpet,Hyderabad.These Rupee 1 notes were issued first in 1943 and had the Promise text similar tot he notes of other denominations.The Promise text was omitted in 1946.Intaglio process was used for notes of all denominations printed at Waterlow & Sons,London.During the times when unsigned notes were receievd from Waterlow,signatures were printed on them by letterpress process.Photo-litho offset process was used to print the notes at the Government of India Security Press(Nasik),as well as for the Rupee 1 notes printed at the Government Central Press at Malakpet,Hyderabad.
Hyderabad was annexed into the Indian Union after the Hyderabad Police Action, which was a military operation in September 1948.This ended the rule of the Nizam.
{The contents of the above information was Copied from India Paper Money-2012 with the permission of its Author Sir Mr.Rezwan Razack.}
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