A Currency note with 17 Languages!!!!

[Abhay]

Have you ever noticed that Indian Currency Notes have 17 languages printed on them?

India is divided into many different states, and most of the states have their own state language. For this reason, the Indian Currency has a "Language Panel" with the denomination of the note in 15 different regional languages. Besides these 15 languages, the other 2 languages are "HINDI", the national language, and "ENGLISH". So that makes it to 17 languages.

More details can be had on this link of Reserve bank of India.

Abhay

[Figleaf]

Quite right and an amazing feat. It's not quite the same, but the European Union boasts 23 languages: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, German, Estonian. Greek, English, Spanish, French, Gaelic, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Maltese, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Finnish and Swedish. Not bad for 27 member-states.

I seem to remember that South Africa also has many official languages.

Peter

[Bimat]

I knew that there are 17 different languages But is India the only country having so many languages represented on banknotes?

Aditya

[Abhay]

Just checked Wiki.

Individual mother tongues in India number several hundred;the 1961 census recognized 1,652(SIL Ethnologue lists 415). According to Census of India of 2001, 29 languages are spoken by more than a million native speakers, 122 by more than 10,000. Three millennia of language contact has led to significant mutual influence among the four language families in India and South Asia. Two contact languages have played an important role in the history of India: Persian and English.

Abhay

[ciscoins]

I knew that there are 17 different languages But is India the only country having so many languages represented on banknotes?

Aditya

USSR banknotes (issue 1947) had the denomination written in 16 languages, because the union consisted of 16 republics.

[chrisild]

South Africa has 11 officially recognized languages; there will be some more. Similarly, the 23 European Union languages are the official ones, and sure there are more. However, "regional" languages do not have the same legal status as "national" ones.

As for several languages on banknotes, well, the euro notes show five different (language specific) abbreviations of "European Central Bank". If all official EU languages were taken into account, there should be three more: EKB, Ецб, and EBC. But the current series is more than ten years old ...

Christian

[sdchaugule]

Number of languages mentioned on the bank note is not material. The numbers change according to number of states and people of the particular country or area. As numismatist or collector of coins and notes, I feel more the number of languages the more mistakes creep in and this will become collector's item. This has happened in India in 50s and 60s.  I personally feel they should add some more languages to facilitate more mistakes (?), which in turn will become collectors  item, till mistake is rectified.

[Ukrainii Pyat]

The USA also is bi-lingual nation for coins and banknotes - if you consider that they have "E Pluribus Unum" on all their money which means - One out of many.  Maybe they need to take that motto of their coins now that they have gotten so anti-immigrant accd to media reports.

[Ukrainii Pyat]

And back on topic so I don't hijack thread.  I like Indian banknotes and even though they are out of my usual collecting realm - I still collect them because of who is portrayed on them - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.  Also they are very colourful, great designs with tigers tractors etc.  A friend in Delhi sent me matched serial number sets of them several years ago.

Here is one note that was printed by Komori Machine Ltd of Sussex England as a test note apparently for the Reserve Bank of India:

The main factor linking this note to India is the Sanskrit like numerals in the serial number.

[translateltd]

Anyone notice that the languages on the Indian notes are arranged in English alphabetical order by name? 

[Ukrainii Pyat]

Anyone notice that the languages on the Indian notes are arranged in English alphabetical order by name? 

It was the one language that everybody could agree on since it is not particular to any group of the population and a lot of people know it - probably more so than many of the other languages in India that they are not familiar with.

[Abhay]

I think the Language panel was started by the British on Indian Notes. Just look at this 1 rupee note from the era of George V (About 1900). With time, the number of languages kept on increasing.

Abhay

[Figleaf]

Good point, Abhay. Even before that, there were multilingual coins (illustrating the point with paper so as not to be too off topic )

Peter

[Bimat]

@ Scottichmoney
Good to hear that you like Indian banknotes.I have seen many people (who aren't collectors) who criticize Indian banknotes for not having a good quality and a good design.Many of them even think that M.K.Gandhi shouldn't be shown on all notes,even though he's considered as Father of Nation.Recently there was a letter in news paper which said that instead of showing only M.K.Gandhi,we should show other heroes on notes also,just like USA.

BTW,by year end,we will be having polymer notes,so you have more Indian banknotes to collect
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/article562784.ece

Aditya

[Prosit]

The few India banknotes I have, I think are very nice.

Dale