Well, let me tell you somethin’ about that paoer money of the Indian princely states. It ain’t like the money we used to see around here. That India, it’s a whole other place, with all them fancy kings and queens, or whatever they called ’em back then. Princes, I reckon. And they had their own money, made of paper, can you believe it? Not like them shiny coins, this was paper!
I heard about this from someone who know things. They said it was a long time ago, way before even my grandma was born. And these princes, they was all over India, like, I don’t know, hundreds of them. Each one had their own little kingdom. This book, I seen a picture of it, it’s all fancy-like, full of these paper money. They call it a “guide“. Like a map, but for money!
- This India paper money, they started using it back in, like, 1770.
- And they used it all the way up to 1947.
- They had 10 rupee notes, 20 rupee notes, all the way up to 2000!
Now, I ain’t no expert on this money stuff, but I heard during that big war, the second one, they ran outta metal. So, these princes, some of ’em, specially in places called Gujarat and Rajasthan, they started makin’ this paper money. ‘Cause they couldn’t make the metal coins no more. 36 of them had their own paper money! Imagine that!
This old book, it talks about all them old-timey banks, too. They called ’em Presidency Banks. There was one in Bengal, one in Bombay, and one in Madras. Sounds important, don’t it? They was the ones makin’ this paper money, back in the 1700s, even before the 1800s. It was a big deal, I guess. This whole thing about paper money, it’s older than you’d think!
They say this paper money, it’s got a real history. You know, like them old stories your grandpa used to tell. And these “Hundies”, they called ’em, they was like paper money, too, but different. Used for business, I reckon. Complicated stuff. This book, it explains it all, I suppose. It’s called “The Standard Reference Guide to Indian Paper Money“.
Back in the old days, way, way back, they used shells. Cowrie shells! Can you imagine, payin’ for your goods with shells? Then they went to metal coins, in them old empires, the Mauryan and Gupta ones. They was big deals, them empires. Lots of tradin’ and such. They needed that money, you see. This is like the grandfather of Indian Paper Money.
Nowadays, they got different money in India, I hear. Issued by some big bank, the Reserve Bank of India. But this old paper money, that’s somethin’ special. It’s like a piece of history, you know? Like findin’ an old arrowhead in your backyard. It tells a story, this money. A story about princes and wars and how things used to be. That Indian currency, it goes way back. This is a guide of early paper money of India.
This book, it’s by some fellas named Kishore Jhunjhunwalla and Rezwan Razack. Sounds important, them names. They must know a lot about this Indian paper money. It is all about India paper. They probably spent years studyin’ it, I bet. It ain’t easy, rememberin’ all them dates and names and places. It’s a lot to keep track of. But it’s important to some folks, I reckon. Those who like to collect old things and learn about the past. Like them history buffs.
I don’t know about you, but I find it kinda fascinatin’. This old paper money, from a faraway land. It ain’t just money, it’s a story. A story of a different time, a different place. A story of them Indian princes and their kingdoms. It’s like a window into the past, this paoer money of the Indian princely states. A real window.
This book is the guide to Indian paper money. I don’t think many folks round these parts know much about it. But it’s out there. This history, it’s out there. And this book, it helps you understand it, I guess. If you’re into that sort of thing. It’s a whole world out there, beyond our little town. A world full of history and stories, just waitin’ to be told. And this Indian paper money, it’s a part of that story. A big part, I reckon.
