RBI to issue new Rs 50 currency notes, old series notes continue to be legal tender

The Reserve Bank of India to issue new Rs 50 currency notes with motif of Hampi with Chariot on reverse, depicting country’s cultural heritage.

The RBI said that all banknotes in the denomination of Rs. 50 issued by the Reserve Bank in the earlier series will continue to be legal tender.

The new notes are paled turquoise in colour which is very different from the same denomination notes which are currently in circulation. The new notes are in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005 and will carry the signature of current RBI Governor Urjit Patel.

The salient features of ₹ 50 denomination banknote in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series are as under:

Salient Features

Obverse (Front)

1. See through register with denominational numeral 50

2. Denominational numeral ५० in Devnagari,

3. Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre,

4. Micro letters ‘RBI’, ‘भारत’, ‘INDIA’ and ‘50’,

5. Windowed demetalised security thread with inscriptions ‘भारत’ and RBI, 

6. Guarantee Clause, Governor’s signature with Promise Clause and RBI emblem towards right of Mahatma Gandhi portrait,

7. Ashoka Pillar emblem on the right,

8. Mahatma Gandhi portrait and electrotype (50) watermarks,9. Number panel with numerals growing from small to big on the top left side and bottom right side.

Reverse (Back)

10. Year of printing of the note on the left,

11. Swachh Bharat logo with slogan,

12. Language panel,

13. Motif of Hampi with Chariot,

14. Denominational numeral ५० in Devnagari.

Dimension of the banknote will be 66 mm x 135 mm.

Earlier in December last year, the Reserve Bank of India had issued statement that it will issue new currency notes of Rs 50 and Rs 20 denominations. RBI had said that the new notes will have numerals in ascending size in the number panels and it will be without intaglio printing. 

“The Reserve Bank will shortly issue Rs 50 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005, without inset letter in both the number panels, bearing signature of Dr Urjit R Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, and the year of printing ‘2016’ printed on the reverse of the banknote,” said RBI in December.