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Auction: 25888 - The Jeffrey Wong Collection of World Banknotes - Part I
Lot: 123

(x) Government of India, 1000 Rupees, Bombay, ND (1928), serial number X/9 363013,
A magnificent high-denomination banknote issued under British rule in India, this time designated for Bombay, then the Empire's primary commercial and financial gateway to the wider world. While identical in design to the Calcutta issue presented in the previous lot, this Bombay-printed variety reflects the city’s growing prominence within the colonial economic structure of the late 1920s.

At that time, Bombay stood as a global entrepôt. The city functioned as a financial centre not only for India, but also for much of Britain's commercial empire in Asia. In such a context, high-denomination currency like this 1,000 Rupees note primarily facilitated large-scale commercial transactions, institutional reserves, and financial operations conducted by banks, trading houses, and governmental bodies—rarely entering daily public circulation.

The intricately designed obverse features a crowned portrait of King George V at right, framed by elaborate guilloche patterns, with denominations and text presented in English, Urdu, Hindi, and Arabic—capturing the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of India under the British Raj.

Notes of this type surface only on rare occasions. In Spink's auction history, only two examples of the Bombay issue have been offered over the past fifteen years, with the most recent sold in December 2019. Our cataloguers have found only three previous auction appearances for this Bombay variety recorded—an indication of just how infrequently these notes reach the market. Opportunities to acquire such exceptional examples remain few and far between.
(Pick 12e, BNB 146, Jhun&Rez 3.11.2A), in PMG holder 35 NET Choice Very Fine, ink stamp, internal tear, only 1 note in higher grade on PMG Census

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£12,000 to £18,000

Starting price
£8000