NRB issues new 'Rs 1,000 banknote'

KATHMANDU: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), through its currency management department, has announced that a new series of Rupees 1,000 banknote will enter circulation starting today. 

The new 2025 series keeps the same size as previous issues but features a colour change, with a pale green interior and a purple border. The central bank published this notice to inform the general public about the release and the specific characteristics of the new currency.

The front of the new note carries a promissory phrase, stating, 'Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), guaranteed by the Government of Nepal, on demand Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) will immediately pay Rs 1,000.' It shows an image of Mount Everest on the left and a rhododendron watermark on the right, with a '1000' watermark situated beneath it. A blue see-through register showing a portion of '1000' is on the right, which becomes fully visible as the number '1000' when held against the light.

For the visually impaired, a Roman letter 'M' is included on the lower right to assist with touch identification. Additionally, there are 10 angular lines on both the left of Mount Everest and the right of the watermark. An oval shape to the right of Mount Everest contains an image of Goddess Bhagawati that appears golden when viewed straight and green when tilted. The note also features a 3.5 millimetre-wide security thread with a dynamic effect that looks red straight on and green when tilted, marked with 'NRB' and '1000'. The front includes the signature of NRB Governor Prof. Dr Biswo Nath Poudel and the series number "BS 2082" at the bottom.

The reverse side highlights an image of twin elephants, Ram and Lakshman, born to a rare elephant named Devakali at the government elephant camp in Chitwan. The text 'Nepal Rastra Bank' is printed above them. The back also features the blue see-through register on the left, which shows the complete '1000' when held against the light. To the right of the watermark, a cluster of seven rhododendrons represents the seven provinces of Nepal. Furthermore, the text 'Rupees One Thousand' is written on the right, alongside a historical pillar located at Lohan Chowk in Hanuman Dhoka. The bottom border displays the series number '2025 A.D.'

The central bank clarified that the new issue, denoted as Series 2025, begins its serial numbers from Ta/92 000001 and goes up to Ta/50 999999. A previous notice dated the 7th of Shrawan, 2077, had indicated that the 2019 series of Rs 1,000 notes would circulate up to serial number Ta/100 999999. However, because notes only up to serial number Ta/91 440000 were actually issued to the public, the new series continues from where the previous circulation ended.