Rare Antique Note: ₹100 Hajj Note Turns Goldmine, Collector Buys for ₹56 Lakh

A 100-rupee note has been sold for Rs 56 lakh. You may not believe it. But this is the truth. An Indian note of Rs 100 was sold for Rs 56 lakh in an auction held in London. The serial number of this note is HA 078400. These ‘Haj Notes’ were issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the 1950s. RBI issued these notes for Indian pilgrims going to the Gulf countries for the Hajj pilgrimage.

Its purpose was to prevent the illegal purchase of gold with normal Indian currency. In 1961, Kuwait introduced its currency, which was soon adopted by other Gulf countries. As a result, the production of Haj notes stopped in the 1970s. Nowadays, these notes are considered rare. They are very valuable among currency collectors. Their value depends on their condition and rarity.

History of Hajj Notes

The Rs 100 ‘Haj Note’ sold in an auction in London has a history. This note was issued in the 1950s. RBI had issued ‘Hajj Notes’ for Indian pilgrims going to the Gulf countries for the Hajj pilgrimage. At that time, pilgrims used to buy gold for the Hajj pilgrimage. Due to this, gold was being exported illegally from India. To stop this, the RBI issued ‘Haj Notes’. These notes were recognized only in some Gulf countries. These notes were not used in India.

What were the special things about Hajj Notes

‘Haj Notes’ had some special features. The first feature was their serial number prefix of ‘HA’. Due to this, these notes could be easily identified. The second feature was that these notes were used only in some Gulf countries, like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. These notes were not valid in India. The third feature was their color. The colour of the ‘Hajj Note’ was different from the normal Indian notes.

Last year, two old notes sold for lakhs

In May 2024, two old Rs 10 notes fetched a very high price at an auction in London. One note sold for Rs 6.90 lakh and the other for Rs 5.80 lakh. These notes were issued on 25 May 1918 during the last years of the First World War. These notes were on the British ship SS Shirala, which fell victim to the torpedo of a German U-boat on 2 July 1918. The sinking of SS Shirala was an important historical event. Notes of that time, especially those recovered from the wreck of a ship, have a unique historical significance. This is why their price is so high in the 21st century.

The auction of ‘Hajj Note’ and SS Shirala notes shows how high the price of old and rare notes can be. These notes offer a glimpse of history. These are very valuable for collectors.