Whilst this issue is not as in depth as the earlier 1917 issue the Western catalogues again have missed some varieties - This is the only issue for India where the serial number is located on the back/reverse this is the source of the varieties described below. It seems if the varieties are on the back/reverse of a note as was partly the case with the 1917 issue they have gone unnoticed. In the 1917 case the language error in the Gujarati panel went largely un-noticed in the western world until the last 10-15 years considering this note is 99 years old that is a long time to be unrecorded, the serial differences of this series are not recorded to this day in the popular western catalogues. It should also be noted that our coin collecting cousins are also susceptible to this, the very rare 1916 Australian half penny mule with 1/4 Anna Indian coin was not detected until 1965 largely due to date collectors displaying the reverse of the coin where the error was on the obverse.
The legend promising to pay the bearer one rupee is not on this series making them a token note. The term "Fiat Money" can be used here which has several meanings one of which is: "Actual valueless money used as money as per an act of government." Not declared legal tender or promised by a bank or government.
The issue was initially printed in England at no fewer than 3 different note printing facilities the last of the issue was printed at Nasik in India. The distinct differences are as below. All varieties carry the signature of John William Kelly as "Controller of the currency"
