1 rupiah 1961
Market Prices
74 salesAbout This Note
This is an exceptional PMG 66 EPQ example of the Indonesia 1 Rupiah 1961 (Pick P-79A), presenting crisp, uncirculated condition with excellent eye appeal. The note features vibrant green and tan ornamental designs with a portrait of a man in traditional Indonesian formal attire on the obverse and two decorative female figures in traditional dress on the reverse. The exceptional preservation and high PMG grade reflect its status as a premium collector specimen from Indonesia's early post-independence currency period.
Common. The extensive eBay sales data shows consistent, moderate pricing typical of common circulating issues. While this specific PMG 66 EPQ example sold for $15.50 in March 2024, uncirculated examples regularly trade for under $2-3, and graded PMG 65-67 specimens typically range from $7-20. The large number of auction records across multiple years and condition grades indicates substantial numbers in the collector market. No evidence of limited print run, recall, or scarcity in standard references.
Issued in 1961 by the newly independent Republik Indonesia, this 1 Rupiah note represents the nation's early monetary consolidation following independence from Dutch colonial rule. The portrait imagery on the obverse, depicting a man in formal military-style dress with the traditional peci hat, reflects Indonesia's nation-building period and celebration of indigenous leadership. The reverse figures in traditional Indonesian dress underscore the state's emphasis on cultural identity and national heritage during this formative decade.
The obverse features a formally dressed man wearing a black peci (traditional Indonesian hat) and formal military-style jacket, positioned left-center, symbolizing Indonesian national leadership. Elaborate ornamental designs including floral scrollwork, geometric patterns, and decorative fan-like elements frame the portrait in green and tan tones, with the denomination '1' displayed in an ornamental circle in the top left. The reverse depicts two allegorical female figures in traditional Indonesian dress—one in a seated/reclining pose on the left and one standing on the right—flanking ornamental and architectural elements, representing Indonesian cultural heritage. Decorative serpent or dragon-like creatures and fine guilloche patterns provide security detailing throughout both sides. The color scheme of green, tan, black, and white creates a balanced, dignified presentation appropriate to early independence-era Indonesian currency.
Front: 'REPUBLIK INDONESIA' (Republic of Indonesia), 'SATU RUPIAH' (One Rupiah), 'MENTERI KEUANGAN' (Minister of Finance), '1961' (date), '1' (denomination numeral). Back: 'REPUBLIK INDONESIA' (Republic of Indonesia), 'AEU046309' (serial number), '1' (denomination numeral repeated in all four corners). The serial number AEU046309 appears twice on the reverse side.
Intaglio engraving, characteristic of high-security banknote production. The fine line work, detailed guilloche patterns, ornamental scrollwork, and crisp portrait rendering visible in the visual analysis are hallmarks of intaglio printing, which was the standard security printing method employed for Indonesian banknotes of this era. The printer JEZ (likely Joh. Enschedé en Zonen, the renowned Dutch security printer) is associated with Pick P-79A variants.
This note is catalogued as P-79A with printer JEZ. Pick records identify three variants (P-79a, P-79b, P-79c) for this base number, though the visual analysis and catalog data do not provide sufficient detail to distinguish between these printer variants beyond the JEZ attribution. The serial number AEU046309 with prefix 'AEU' is consistent with standard Indonesian issue prefixes of this period but does not indicate a special variety or limited run.
