{"product_id":"india-p99-500-rupees-2005-12-vf","title":"India P-99 500 Rupees 2005-12 Very Fine+Pen Marks—Back w\/Date but no ₹ Symbol","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe iconic Gandhi 500 Rupee note — India's workhorse denomination for over a decade, demonetized overnight on November 8, 2016. This is Pick P-99, issued 2000–2004, featuring a date on the reverse but no ₹ symbol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e black and dark grey engraving on yellow, pale orange, and tan multicolor underprint; red serial numbers\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003ePortrait of \u003cstrong\u003eMohandas Karamchand \"Mahatma\" Gandhi\u003c\/strong\u003e at right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eRBI coat of arms at bottom-right corner\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eLion Capital of the Ashoka Column at lower right (now in Sarnath Museum)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDenomination \"500\" in colour-shifting ink (shifts between emerald green and turquoise)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eLatent image of \"500\" in grey space beside Gandhi's portrait — visible when tilted\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSecurity thread windowed into six sections; inscription \"RBI भारत\" repeated throughout when backlit; multicolour thread shifts between emerald green, turquoise, and blue\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Y._Venugopal_Reddy\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eYaga Venugopal Reddy\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Duvvuri_Subbarao\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDuvvuri Subbarao\u003c\/a\u003e — Gov., Reserve Bank of India\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e black and dark brown engraving on yellow and tan multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eScene of the \u003cstrong\u003eDandi March of 1930\u003c\/strong\u003e — Gandhi and followers in peaceful protest against the British salt monopoly\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDate printed at bottom center — \u003cem\u003epresent on P-99 and P-106; absent on P-93\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e₹ rupee symbol before \"500\" in upper left and upper right corners — \u003cem\u003epresent on P-106 only; absent on P-93 and P-99 (this note)\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDenomination panel in 15 Indian languages (excluding Hindi and English): Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi (Gurmukhi), Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pick P-99; Numista N#202275\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi; electrotype denomination 500\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cotton paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 165 × 77 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reserve Bank of India (भारतीय रिज़र्व बैंक)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8 November 2016\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Indian Rupee (decimalized, 1957–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe March That Shook an Empire\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn \u003cstrong\u003e12 March 1930\u003c\/strong\u003e, a \u003cstrong\u003e61-year-old lawyer-turned-saint\u003c\/strong\u003e walked out of his ashram in Sabarmati with 78 followers and began a \u003cstrong\u003e240-mile journey to the sea\u003c\/strong\u003e. His goal: to pick up a handful of salt and break British law. The \u003cstrong\u003eDandi March\u003c\/strong\u003e — also called the Salt Satyagraha — was an act of \u003cstrong\u003ecivil disobedience\u003c\/strong\u003e so simple and so powerful that it electrified the world. By the time Gandhi reached the coast on \u003cstrong\u003e6 April 1930\u003c\/strong\u003e, tens of thousands had joined. The British arrested over \u003cstrong\u003e60,000 people\u003c\/strong\u003e. It was the beginning of the end of the Raj.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGandhi himself — \u003cstrong\u003eMohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869–1948)\u003c\/strong\u003e — trained as a barrister in London, was thrown off a train in South Africa for sitting in a whites-only compartment, and returned to India to lead the largest nonviolent independence movement in history. He was assassinated on \u003cstrong\u003e30 January 1948\u003c\/strong\u003e, just months after India's independence. He never held political office. He appears on every Indian banknote.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Night India's Money Died\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt \u003cstrong\u003e8:15 PM on 8 November 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared on national television and announced that, effective midnight, all ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes were no longer legal tender. \u003cstrong\u003e86% of India's currency by value\u003c\/strong\u003e was invalidated in a single speech. Lines formed at banks stretching for blocks. ATMs ran dry. The move — intended to combat \u003cstrong\u003eblack money, counterfeiting, and tax evasion\u003c\/strong\u003e — caused enormous disruption and remains one of the most dramatic monetary events of the 21st century. These notes, once the backbone of everyday Indian commerce, became collector's items overnight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout India\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Derived from the Indus River (Sanskrit: \u003cem\u003eSindhu\u003c\/em\u003e), via Persian \u003cem\u003eHindu\u003c\/em\u003e and Greek \u003cem\u003eIndos\u003c\/em\u003e; the name has been in use for over 2,500 years\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name of New Delhi:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Delhi\" likely derives from the Hindi\/Prakrit word \u003cem\u003edhili\u003c\/em\u003e (loose), referring to the iron pillar of Qutb, or from Raja Dhilu (50 BC); \"New\" was added when the British built the planned capital in 1911\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e New Delhi — city pop. ~250,000; metro pop. ~33 million (NCT of Delhi)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~1.44 billion (UN 2024) — roughly 4× the United States\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3,287,263 km² (1,269,219 mi²) — slightly larger than Argentina; about one-third the size of the United States\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$10,100 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e petroleum products, gems and jewelry, pharmaceuticals, machinery, textiles, rice\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pakistan (west), China and Nepal (north), Bhutan (northeast), Bangladesh and Myanmar (east); coastlines on the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hindi and English (official); 22 scheduled languages; hundreds of regional languages and dialects\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Indo-Aryan_peoples\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIndo-Aryan\u003c\/a\u003e (~72%), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dravidian_peoples\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDravidian\u003c\/a\u003e (~25%), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Austroasiatic_peoples\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAustroasiatic\u003c\/a\u003e and others (~3%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e United Nations (founding member, 1945); Commonwealth of Nations (1947); Non-Aligned Movement (founding member, 1961); G20 (hosts 2023 presidency); BRICS; World Trade Organization; South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC, founding member)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mughal Empire (1526–1857); British East India Company rule (1757–1858); British Raj (1858–1947); Independence: 15 August 1947; Republic: 26 January 1950\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eIndia Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIndia has the world's largest democracy\u003c\/strong\u003e — over 960 million eligible voters cast ballots in the 2024 general election, the largest democratic exercise in human history.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eZero was invented here.\u003c\/strong\u003e The concept of zero as a number was formalized by Indian mathematician \u003cstrong\u003eBrahmagupta\u003c\/strong\u003e in 628 AD — arguably the most consequential mathematical discovery ever made.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIndia has more languages than Europe.\u003c\/strong\u003e The 2011 census recorded 19,500 distinct mother tongues. The Indian constitution recognizes 22 official languages.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Kumbh Mela is the largest human gathering on Earth\u003c\/strong\u003e — up to 50 million people in a single day. It is visible from space.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIndia's film industry produces more films than any other country\u003c\/strong\u003e — over 1,800 per year across multiple language industries, of which Bollywood (Hindi) is just one.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eYoga, chess, and the decimal number system\u003c\/strong\u003e all originated in India.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIndia became the fourth country to land on the Moon\u003c\/strong\u003e when Chandrayaan-3 touched down near the lunar south pole on 23 August 2023 — the first mission ever to land there.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDespite being the world's largest democracy, India has never had a female president elected by popular vote\u003c\/strong\u003e — though it has had a female Prime Minister (\u003cstrong\u003eIndira Gandhi\u003c\/strong\u003e, no relation to Mahatma, 1966–1977 and 1980–1984).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this note and hold a piece of modern India in your hands — the Gandhi who walked to the sea, the rupee that survived independence, and the banknote that a prime minister killed with a single speech. A remarkable piece of monetary history from the world's most populous nation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52641511014711,"sku":"IN99VF","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/Pen_mark_obverse.png?v=1783633588","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/india-p99-500-rupees-2005-12-vf","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}