1 rupia 1924

Common. The 1 Rupia note from Portuguese India (Pick 23A) was issued in substantial quantities to facilitate commerce in the colony throughout the 1920s. No specific evidence of low print runs, recall, or extreme scarcity exists in catalog records. The VF condition grade is typical for circulated notes of this age that have survived in reasonable preservation. While all 100+ year-old banknotes have numismatic value, this denomination and series remain widely available to collectors at modest prices.

This note represents Portuguese colonial administration of Goa and Portuguese India during the early 20th century, issued under Decree No. 17154 by the Banco Nacional Ultramarino, the official bank of Portugal's overseas territories. The architectural vignette on the reverse depicts colonial-era buildings and fortifications characteristic of Goa's Portuguese colonial landscape, reflecting the administrative and commercial infrastructure of the colony. The presence of Hindi/Devanagari script overprints indicates the practical currency use in a region with significant Indian population and multilingual commerce.

The obverse features a prominent frontal portrait of a lion's head with detailed mane and open mouth displaying teeth, flanked by two ornamental towers, centered within an elaborate blue decorative frame with geometric border patterns and scrollwork. The Portuguese coat of arms appears at the bottom center. Multiple languages accommodate the multilingual colonial context: Portuguese for administration, Hindi/Devanagari for local commerce. Red overprints containing the serial number were applied after initial printing. The reverse depicts an architectural vignette of colonial Goa, featuring pyramid-shaped and domed structures, fortification walls, palm trees, and figures with what appears to be a cart in the foreground, representing the administrative and commercial heart of Portuguese India. Denomination markers '1' appear in decorative cartouches on both sides.

FRONT SIDE: 'Banco Nacional Ultramarino' (National Overseas Bank) | 'Sovagoa' (Goa) | 'Decret No. 17154' (Decree No. 17154) | Serial number 'A455195' | 'Indiá Europa' (India Europe) | 'Lisboa' (Lisbon) | '1 de Janeiro de 1924' (January 1, 1924) | 'Pagável ao Portador em' (Payable to the bearer in) | 'O Vice Governador' (The Vice Governor) | 'O Governador' (The Governor) | 'Moeda Corrente, Valor Recebido' (Current money, value received) | 'Colonias, Commercio Agricultura' (Colonies, Commerce Agriculture) | 'Thomas De La Rue & Coy. Ltd' | 'Gravadores, Londres' (Engravers, London) | Hindi overprints: 'एक रुपया' (One Rupee) and reference text. BACK SIDE: 'Banco Nacional Ultramarino' | 'Sovia Riopia' (Goa/Riopia region) | Denomination '1' | 'Thomas De La Rue & Coy. Ltd' | 'Gravadores, Londres' (Engravers, London).

Intaglio engraving (recess printing) executed by Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited, London, one of the world's premier security printers of the era. The fine line engraving visible in borders, backgrounds, and the complex architectural vignette demonstrates the high-quality craftsmanship characteristic of De La Rue's banknote production. Red serial number and overprints were applied in a separate print pass after the primary blue engraved design, visible as layered impressions on the paper surface.

This specific example is identified as Pick 23A with date 1 de Janeiro de 1924 and serial number A455195, representing the standard issue variety. The red overprints with Hindi/Devanagari script are characteristic of this series' adaptation for the Indian subcontinent market. Varieties of this note may exist based on signature variations (Vice Governor and Governor signatures visible at bottom), different serial number prefixes, and overprint details, but this particular note represents the documented Pick 23A standard type with documented Lisbon issue date.