It seems strange to think, but it is true! In an auction held in London, a simple ₹ 100 note of India was sold for ₹ 56 lakh. The serial number of this note was HA 078400. But the question arises, why is the price of a ₹ 100 note so high? Actually, this was not a common note, but a ‘Haj jNote’. These notes were issued in the 1950s by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), especially for those Indian Hajj pilgrims who used to travel to the Gulf countries. Come, know the whole story of this note, and who knows, such a note is also kept in your old safe.
Why were ‘Hajj Notes’ issued
In the 1950s, the RBI issued these ‘Haj Notes’ to prevent gold smuggling among Indian Hajis. At that time, many travelers used to carry Indian currency with them for Haji Yatra and used to buy gold illegally there. To stop this, the RBI issued these special notes, which could be used only in some Gulf countries. In 1961, when Kuwait introduced its own currency and other Gulf countries adopted it, the production of these notes stopped in the 1970s. This is why these notes are extremely rare today, and their price is very high among currency collectors.
What was the specialty of ‘Hajj Notes’
These ‘Haj Notes’ were special in many ways, and they could be easily identified. ‘HA’ was written in front of the serial number on these notes. This made them different from normal Indian notes. These notes were valid only in select Gulf countries like the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. They were of no use in India. The color of these notes was also different from normal Indian notes.
When old notes fetched lakhs of rupees
This is not the first time that an old note has fetched a staggering price at auction. Last year, in May 2024, two old ₹10 notes were also sold for lakhs at an auction in London. One note sold for ₹6.90 lakh and the other for ₹5.80 lakh. These notes were issued on 25 May 1918 during the First World War and were on a British ship, SS Shirala, which fell prey to a German submarine on 2 July 1918.
These notes recovered from the wreckage of the ship had their own unique historical significance. The auction of ‘Haj Note’ and SS Shirala Notes shows how high the price of old and rare notes can be. These notes are not just pieces of paper, but a part of history that are invaluable to collectors.
