Pakistan’s currency has seen a lot of changes
What if the State Bank of Pakistan was to issue new banknotes and change the existing design? With all due respect to Mr. Jinnah, he can’t always be the star of our notes. In taking a look at the design of the Pakistani rupee over the years, the SBP should really work hard to up it’s game and provide something more visually appealing.
Fortunately for SBP, a design was proposed by a Lahori designer Shan Ul Haq, who took it upon himself to redesign the banknotes of Pakistan. For those of you who are really happy with the possible upgrade, do you remember the old notes that your grandmother would give you for Eid back in the 90’s? If not, I’m going to take you all on a trip down money… sorry, memory lane and tell you how Pakistan began spicing those notes up.
1. 1948
So this was the first note that was printed after the SBP was formed… well aren’t we glad we didn’t stick to this design? Very hypnotic.
2. 1949
Here we have for you a boat and what looks like a lot of money on it…Okay, no, it’s jute. Anyway, in 1949 the design and image for the note was changed to represent different national locations. I bet the boys found this color too girly for their liking even back then!
3. 1956
Being the trend setters we are, our government released a new design to for Pakistan’s currency to prove that we indeed were greener than green itself! And so…BOOM… there we had the picture of the Quaid added to our new notes.
4. 1971
East and West Pakistan began having issues, to add to which Pakistan’s currency notes were being used to promote ‘Bangla Desh’ as this was what was being written on them. In response, a new series of notes were prepared and old ones were banned from being used.
5. 1974
After every other break up, both the ex’s decide to spice things up and change everything about them, so they can be the better one. Similarly, after Pakistan broke up with Bangladesh, being the generic ex, it even changed its currency design so that it would only represent our nation alone.
6. 1990’s
For those of you who don’t remember this crispy baby from Pakistan’s currency history, you are far too young. This was a major chunk of many people’s wallet back in the old days, especially on Eid! With this design, geometry was put to some good use!
7. Late 1990’s
But we weren’t always going to be collecting one rupee tiny notes now, were we? The bigger the better. So in the late 90’s and with the start of the 2000’s the SBP released big notes with a good amount of 0’s.
8. 2005
Move over you all… out with the old and in with the new! Big bucks were finally printed in 2005 with the usual star of the show, Mr. Jinnah featured on Pakistan’s currency, as usual.
Now that folks is a hundred rupees pretty bill that has been painting the town red ever since it was printed.
9. Now?
Graphic designer, Shan ul Haq, created his own designs of Pakistan’s currency as a side project to promote a positive image of the country (keep in mind, this does NOT mean that our currency is changing). And the designs don’t disappoint.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) should definitely look at these designs for Pakistan’s currency by the designer as this new cha-ching, not only would the banknotes be funky, but they would also have the notes in vertical form, rather than the usual horizontal, which looks much cooler. Moreover, thank you to the designer for taking into consideration the plight of the visually impaired and adding braille digits for them, for the purpose of their recognition of the amount at hand.
So, do you think the State Bank of Pakistan appreciate these new designs and change the look of the current notes?
Cover image via: currencyinp.blogspot.com / aliexpress.com
