Hajj Pilgrim Bank Note Journeys to High Bid
Red-inked Hajj pilgrim 100 rupees note.
Heritage Auctions
A very rare 100 rupees note recently found its way to the World Paper Money Signature® auction on December 7, 2024. Held by Heritage Auctions in Hong Kong, this Pick R6 Jhunjhunwalla-Razack 6.13.2.1 PMG Very Fine 30 note earned a winning bid of over $26,000 and was a standout among many rare international selections.
The Reserve Bank of India issued the note, which was not considered legal tender in the country. Notes of this kind were printed on blue and, as seen with this note, striking red paper. The design included a special prefix “HA” to signify that it was to be used by Indian Muslims during their Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The notes could be exchanged for riyals, which, upon completion of the Hajj, were then transferred to Indian banks.
Hajj bank notes began to be issued after India achieved independence from Great Britain in 1947. The year this note was printed was also the creation of the 1959 Indian Hajj Committee Act. This initiative provided a government-sponsored program that assisted Indian Muslims in their Hajj pilgrimage travel. These notes were later removed, as few were circulating, and almost all were fully exchanged.
Because of this scarcity, it isn't easy to obtain such a note today. At the time of the auction’s cataloging, PMG had only graded 15 examples of this style of 100 rupees issue. “This note is as rare as it is beautiful…” explains Vice President of Currency at Heritage Auctions Dustin Johnston. “This auction marks the first time Heritage ever has offered this historically important note.”
You may also like:
Central and Eastern European Bank Note Auction Earns “Most Successful” Title at Noonans
