Lot 465

British India, George V (1910-1936 AD), 100 Rupees, Cawnpore, ND (1917-30), signed by J. W. Kelly, serial no.: T27 349204, Jhun & Rez # 3.10.3C, Pick # 10k, The George V 100 Rupees note of the Cawnpore Circle is far more than a high-denomination colonial banknote. It reflects Cawnpore’s status as the industrial and military powerhouse of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, formed in 1902 through the merger of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh (Awadh). In 1937, the province’s official name was shortened to the United Provinces, and in 1950, following India’s independence and the integration of the regional princely states, it was renamed Uttar Pradesh, Cawnpore was renowned for its textile mills, leather factories, army-supply establishments and extensive railway-linked commerce. The presence of a Government Currency Office there further demonstrates the city’s considerable financial importance within British India. Intended principally for banking, wholesale trade and other substantial transactions, ₹100 represented exceptional purchasing power—equivalent to 6,400 annas—and was far beyond the regular spending capacity of most Indians of the period. Earlier examples were printed in England, while later production shifted to the India Security Press at Nasik, marking an important step towards domestic security printing. Its rarity is further emphasized by the PMG Population Report, which records only four notes certified in Very Fine 30, with merely three examples graded higher. This exceptionally limited certified population demonstrates the scarcity of the type in comparable or superior grades, making a well-preserved Cawnpore-issued example an important witness to British India’s monetary history and the remarkable commercial rise of modern Kanpur, Repaired & Reconsructed, Graded by PMG 30 NET Very Fine, extremely rare.