Maldives Banknote Discussion

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Possibly 1980’s 100 Rufiyaa Unreleased Design

Unreleased design - 50 Rupees

1960 Stamp and 1947 Banknote
A two‐storeyed building, which was used for different purposes over the years. At the time the bank notes were prepared the building was the Customs House. It later became a Post Office and was last used as the Office of the Prime Minister. To the left of the building is the main bastion of the town wall. The bastion was called the ‘Bodu Koattey Buruzu’. There was a flagstaff on the Bodu Koattey which flew the State ensign if there was a foreign vessel in port. The bastion has since been torn down as part of the harbour redevelopment and the old Customs house has been demolished, now being the site of Republic Park.

1960 Stamp and 1947 Banknote
The Veyodorhu Ganduvaru Mathige was a three‐storeyed house that was adjacent to the Sultan’s Palace. Now demolished, the building was at one stage the Sifainge, or Defence Headquarters of the militia. The aspect of the illustration on the note is from the Aa-Koattey Buruzu (New Fort Bastion). To the left of the building is Medhumaa Gate, flanked by lamp- posts. To the left of the gate is the very low Kilege Buruzu (bastion) from which gun salutes were fired.

70 years of Maldives Banknotes in 1 photo



1/2 Rufiyaa - 1947

1 Rufiyaa - 1947 / 1960

2 Rufiyaa - 1947 / 1960 / 1983 / 1990

5 Rufiyaa - 1947 / 1960 / 1983 / 1990 / 1998 / 2000 / 2006 / 2011 / 2017

10 Rufiyaa - 1947 / 1960 / 1983 / 1998 / 2006 / 2015

20 Rufiyaa - 1983 / 1987 / 2000 / 2008 / 2015

50 Rufiyaa - 1951 / 1960 / 1980 / 1983 / 1987 / 2000 / 2008 / 2015

100 Rufiyaa - 1951 / 1960 / 1983 / 1987 / 1995 / 2000 / 2013 / 2015

500 Rufiyaa - 1990 / 1996 / 2006 / 2008 / 2015

1000 Rufiyaa - 2015

5000 Rufiyaa - 2015

Banknote and Stamp Cover

Maldives Unissued Photographic Printer Proofs

Maldives have had 3 major design changes with their banknotes in the last 70 years - 1948 when they first issued banknotes / 1983 when they redesigned the banknotes to be smaller in size / 2015 when they introduced polymer banknotes.

In the 1960's and 1970's the British Printers Bradbury Wilkinson & Co played around with some test designs that were never adopted and subsequently photographs were taken of these proposals for archival / posterity purposes and the originals destroyed.

These photographs along with other photographs of unissued / proposed designs for other countries were stuck into an album / book. Somehow over time this album / book ended up in a rubbish skip and was somehow saved from destruction.

These are truly one off in the World and although crudely cut / rough looking have been certified by Spink UK to be true and genuine - an interesting insight into what may have been...

Very extensive collection! Congrats!

I really like the large sized format of the original series. I can see the appeal to collecting the Maldives series.

Very extensive collection! Congrats!

I really like the large sized format of the original series. I can see the appeal to collecting the Maldives series.

Thank you for the nice words 👍

5 Rufiyaa
10 Rufiyaa
20 Rufiyaa
50 Rufiyaa
100 Rufiyaa
500 Rufiyaa
1000 Rufiyaa
5000 Rufiyaa