Information on Indian Bank Notes, Indian Paper Money, Indian Currency Notes, Early Banks of India, Presidency Banks of India, British India - Queen Victoria, King George V, King George VI, Post Indian Independence, Issues by Reserve Bank of India, Portuguese India, French India, Gulf & Haj Issues, Overprints of Burma & Pakistan, Hyderabad, Cash coupons, Prisoners of War Coupons
Jammu and Kashmir was one of India’s premier Princely States, situated at the Northern tip of the country in majestic Himalayan surroundings.
Kashmir formed a part of the Mughal Durrani and Sikh empires in 18th – 19th centuries and was ultimately sold by the British, who conquered in from the Sikhs, to the Dogra ruler Gulab Singh of Jammu. It remained under the Dogra family until its last ruler Maharaja Hari Singh signed an accession treaty with India in 1948.
The state issued notes through its treasury with limited circulatory liabilities in 1877. They bear the signatures of Diwan Kirpa Ram as the chief signatory and other officials. The vignettes depict a sun face and the words ‘Shrikar’ in bold letters in center. Issued notes bear a Persian seal impression below ‘Shrikar’.
The currency notes were used only for payment to the state treasuries of land revenue and other government dues. The denominations range from 1 rupee to 1,000 rupees. They are all dated Samvat 1934 or 1877 A.D. The central panel carries the inscription in Nagari: “Shrikar”; the two panels on both sides of the sun contain numbers: and the three circles on the left and on the right centers carry the numeral value in Persian, Nagari and Dogri. All these panels and circles are coloured in pale gold and the rest in black.
Notes were printed at Vidyavilas Press, Jammu.
The Dogri inscription immediately below the central panel reads “Jammu and Kashmir.” The vertical tables to its right and left provide the denominations in Nagari and Persian scripts. At the center below, there is a handstruck black seal in Persian, reading: Muhr Shrikar Qilimrau Jammun, being the “Land Revenue Seal of the Dominion of Jammu,” with the date 1934, and the month, in the oblong tables on its two sides.
Watermark:
Its printed on a Watermark paper with the words LESCHALLAS inside a coat of arms with the year 1877 below it.
Dimension:
All notes measure 160 mm. x 230 mm. with a plus or minus variation as the paper is not cut perfectly. However, the print of the note on the hand-made paper for all denominations is 131 mm. x 205 mm.
As a part of British Empire that often remained outside the theatres of war, India served as a safe haven for housing the Prisoners of War.Camps were set up, often in places situated in the hinterland, during the Boer War and the two World Wars.The monetary transactions in these camps were facilitated by use of Coupons, as other forms of currency were prone to be forged by the inmates and as such were a source of impending economic danger.The first ever use of such Coupons is said to have been facilitated in the aftermath of the Revolt of 1857.
During the Boer War, camps were situated in the fortified towns of Bellary, Ahmednagar and Trichinopoly.Out of these camps, Coupons for monetary use are so far known only for the Trichinopoly camp and its camp at Kaity in the Nilgiris.These were issued in denominations of 8 Annas, 1 Rupee, 5 Rupees and 10 Rupees.
Several camps were created to house the German, Italian and Japanese prisoners during World War II and a complete listing of camps using monetary Coupons have been appended.Certain small Coupons used in the Central Internment Camp, located at Ahmednagar or Dehradun are also included.
Central Internment Camp, Ahmednagar:
It is not known whether these coupons were issued for the use of World War II internees.Opinion prevails among scholars such as Dr. P. L. Gupta that these were issued for the use of political prisoners who were confined in the Ahmednagar Fort in the aftermath of the ‘Quit India’ movement of 1942.It had coupons of Half Anna (As.0-0-6) and One Anna (As.0-1-0).
Indo-Pak War:
In the aftermath of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, Coupons were issued for the use of Pakistani prisoners.However, the location of these camps is still a mystery.
Prisoner–of-War Camps of World War II
Several POW Camps were set up in India during the Second World War for German, Italian and Japanese POWs. These camps were located in Ahmednagar, Bangalore, Bhopal, Ramgarh, Yol, Delhi, Clement town. The central internment camp was situated at Ahmednagar. The coupons were issued by each "Wing" of the camp and were authorized by the Camp Commandment.
Some of the salient features of the currency coupons issued for use at these camps:
Type 1 and Type 2
Notes measured 115x57 mm.
Overprinted with the name of the camp.
One type has a 6mm vertical bar at the left.
Under-printed “PRISONERS OF WAR” in a semicircle near the top.
“CAMP” is near the bottom.
The denomination is in the middle on either side.
Camp name is overprinted under the denomination
In some cases, over-stamped on the face of the note.
Some have rubber stamp on the face or on the reverse of the note.
Some carry “WING” overprint on obverse and some on the reverse.
The notes had distinctive colours for different denominations.
Not all denominations are known from each camp.
Printed signature only in Central Internment Camp coupons.
Notes were printed on a continuous star-watermark sheet.
Some coupons are without overprinted or over-stamped camp names.
Type 3:
The coupon is Uniface.
It measures 105 x 85 mm.
Text on top reads “CAMP B – PRISONERS OF WAR – RAMGARH TOWN.”
“CASH COUPON” is printed at a slight diagonal at the center.
The denomination is at the lower left.
Printed signature is at lower right.
Type 4:
The coupon is Uniface.
It measures 105 x 85 mm.
Text on top reads “No.1 Internment Camp Ramgarh.”
“Service Prisoners of War” is printed at a diagonal at the center.
The denomination is at the lower right.
Printed signature is at lower left.
Type 4
Prisoner-of-War Camps of World War : Type 1 and Type 2:
The Prisoners-of-war were interned in India in 29 camps forming 6 Groups of camps.In addition, there were two Civil Internment Camps at Dehradun and Deoli and one camp in Delhi for the Japanese prisoners captured in Burma.
Group I – Bangalore: Camps 1 to 8 - Italian prisoners.
Group II – Bhopal:Camps 9 to 16 – Italian prisoners.Camp 16 was a hospital.
Group III – Ramgarh: Camps 17 to 20 – German Civil Internees and later Italian prisoners. Had a punishment camp for difficult Italian pows.
Group IV - Clement Town (Dehradun): Camps 21 to 24 – Separated in Wings 1: pro-Nazi, 2: anti-Nazi, 3: Italians.One of the camps was a Central Internment Camp.
Group V – YOL: Camps 25 to 28 – Italian prisoners.
Group VI – Bikaner: Camp 29 – Japanese prisoners.It was also a punishment camps for difficult Italian pows.
Central Internment Camp (Dehradun / Premnagar):This was mixed civilian internment and prisoner-of-war camp. Italian prisoners of war and German civilian internees housed in separate camps. WING 1 and WING 6 held German internees.
Central Internment Camp (Premnagar):This was mixed civilian internment and prisoner-of-war camp. Italian prisoners of war and German civilian internees housed in separate camps. WING 1 and WING 6 held German internees.
Printed signature was only used in Central Internment Camp - Internees Private Funds Coupon.
Delhi – Japanese Camp:Delhi housed the Japanese prisoners captured in Burma.
Deoli – Civil Internment Camp:Deoli housed German civilian internees and Japanese civilian internees.It was also a punishment colony for Germans.
DENOMINATION
DISTINCTIVE COLOURS OF COUPONS
1 Anna
Purple
2 Annas
Light Brown
4 Annas
Blue
8 Annas
Brown
1 Rupee
Green
2 Rupees
Rust
5 Rupees
Dark Purple
10 Rupees
Blue Green
CAMP
TYPE
BANGALORE - GROUP I (RED OVERPRINT)
WB
WOB
BANGALORE (BLACK OVERPRINT) Camp No.8
WOB
BANGALORE (Rubber Stamp) Camp No.7
WOB
BHOPAL
WB
WOB
CENTRAL INTERNMENT CAMP
WB
DEHRA DUN / PREMNAGAR
WOB
WOB WING 1
WOB WING 2
WOB WING 3
WOB WING 6
WOB WING 7
CLEMENT TOWN
WB
WOB WING 1
WOB WING 2
WOB WING 3
DELHI JAPANESE CAMP
WB
WOB
DEOLI - CIVIL INTERNMENT CAMP
WB
WOB
RAMGARH
WB
WOB
WOB CAMP XVII
WOB CAMP XX
WOB 20 RAMGARH
YOL
WB
WOB CAMP 25
WOB CAMP 26
WOB CAMP 28
YOL BAR COUPON-SQUARE WHITE
WHITE 26 CAMP
WING NO. 5/C PRINTED
NOTE
WB - With Bar - a 6mm vertical bar at the left
WOB - Without Bar
Half Anna - 1/2 Anna - Violet colour only issued in Central Internment Camp
