| The Pakistani Rupee (PKR) is the official currency of Pakistan. It consists of 100 paise (singular paisa). Pakistan began printing its own currency in
1948, using Indian currency with "Pakistan" stamped over for the first few months of
independence.
Like the Indian Rupee, it was originally divided into 16 Annas. This
lasted until 1961 when the currency was finally decimalized into 100 paise. As of 2004 1 US Dollar is worth around 57 Rupees.
Banknotes
The State Bank of Pakistan is responsible for printing Rupee banknotes, and these are printed in 1, 2 (1 and 2 rupee notes are
no longer in print, they have been replaced by coins), 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 denominations(and soon to start 20 and
5000). All banknotes other than the one and two rupee ones feature a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah on the front along with writing in Urdu. The
backsides of banknotes vary in what image they display, and contain information in English. The only Urdu text found on the backsides of banknotes contain the legend "Earning legal
livelihood is akin to prayer". Banknotes vary in width and color, with larger denominations being longer than smaller ones, and
all containing multiple colors. However, each rupee does have one color that is predominant on it. All banknotes feature a
watermark for security purposes. On the larger denomination notes, the watermark is a picture of Jinnah, while on smaller notes,
it is a crescent and star. Different types of security threads are also present in each banknote.
Banknote pictures
Description of rupee banknotes
| Denomination |
Dimensions |
Dominant Color(s) |
Back Illustration |
| 1 Rupee |
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| 2 Rupees |
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| 5 Rupees |
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| 10 Rupees |
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| 50 Rupees |
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| 100 Rupees |
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| 500 Rupees |
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| 1000 Rupees |
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Exchange Rate
The Pakistani rupee depreciated against the US dollar until the turn of the century, when Pakistan's large current-account
surplus pushed the value of the Rupee up versus the dollar. Pakistan's central
bank then tried to hold the rupee down, by lowering interest rates and buying dollars, in order preserve the country's export
competitiveness. The rupee's value now appears to more stable than it has been for much of Pakistan's history.
External link
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