India's clean rupee fetish - no dirty bills

The clean rupee fetish

I have never been to a country more obsessed with crisp clean money, and a distain and rejection for dirty bills, than India.

I remember that I spent a whole month attempting to rid myself of a torn and taped together 100 rupee note. No merchant or hotel or driver would accept it. In fact, this poor worn out 100 rupee note became an item of a running joke between my travel partner and I, as the only person we could pass it off to was between the two of us whenever we owed each other some money. The dreaded worn and torn rupee note. Good people would look at us as if we had handed them a piece of dung when we tried to pay for something with it. Merchants would hand it back to us and refuse to sell to us if we were going to use it as payment.

So this is a warning to new travelers to India, don't accept dirty or torn bills. It is almost as if they are invalid money. Play the Indian clean money game and only accept clean un-torn bills.

Has anyone else encountered this?

Here in the USA there is not this clean money fetish, there is little respect for actual money bills here. Corners can be torn off and missing off dollars, people write in pen all over them, no one takes notice.

Why is there such a clean money fetish in India???

Thats because banks will accept the almighty dollar as long as more than half the face (of the president on the center of the bill) is included. Thats right, upto almost half the bill can be missing, and banks are required to change it. What is the policy of Indian banks regarding mutilated bill? what if you deposit it through an ATM? Do ATMs accept deposits in India?

I know that the State Bank of India will change mutilated bills over the counter.

It certainlt wasn't always like that, especially when the one & two rupee notes were in circulation, Boy did they get tatty, there was more body in a butterflies wing,,,,,,,,,

I have had banks refuse to accept small amounts of worn Rupees. Its a hassle for them and being a government agency they ain't too swift anyway. One of the fundamental characteristics of money is it has too be acceptable so I understand the game. What you have to do is join in. When the auto man is trying to rip you off at night you pay a wad of lousy notes within good ones (ala Chicago bankroll) and count them in front of him. By the time he discovers the radioactive notes you are in the door and gone. Ignore the plaintive cries, sahib, sahib and a few words I won't repeat here. Once at LAX I had an Indian refuse a US bill that was torn while a frustrated exchange clerk tried to explain it was good. I exchanged it for him and use it as a demonstration item now. Money is fascinating in the cultural and historical dimension..

Here's a quiz very much on this topic. At one time India ran low on small bills and coins what did the shopkeepers employ to make change.?

I've often been offered a few sweets instead of paisa,,,,,,,,,,

Can only speculate...
- money (paper) was not put in bank accounts earlier rather held locked in money-boxes or vaults. Who wants a dirty almirah .. ayeh..
- As crvlvr says the torn bills not being accepted by other people/shop is perhaps a bigger reason.

or maybe ... just maybe its seen as 'dirty money' ... earned in dishonest ways.
Yes, few of the newer ones from ICICI etc accept cash bills. But I dont use them.
I remember that happening but was too young... so dont know what was the alternative. Would like to know as well...

Call it fetish or obsession or what you will, but its a good thing. Who likes to handle dirty notes??

It all depends on where you are in India.


Mumbai doesn’t accept even the slightest soiled note.

How much ever soiled it is, the NW (including Calcutta) accepts them all happily.

In Rajastan , they accept if all the torn pieces are put together in a tiny plastic cover. It’ll help the receiver if you can tell them weather it a one rupee note or two rupee. (i'm going to collect a couple of then in my forthcoming tour as a souvenir )

In Chennai, you can sandwich the soiled note in a bunch of good notes when transacting as if you dont know anything about it. This is an acceptable ‘tradition’


Regarding coin shortage…
Then we have the obsession for the coins (to collect in piggy bank). Many times this has lead to severe coin shortages in circulation. The RBI has a trick. The ‘unofficially’ leak the rumor that the particular kind of coins are going to get obsolete.

….. Boy then it’s mayhem. Even airlines booking counters have to install weighing scales to count the payment for Mumbai-Delhi ticket.

Stamps. Sometimes even postcards! (1972: Howrah Station)

I can tell you what did beach (& his mom) do to create change at the shops.

Whenever we hear something like 'Change nahi hain' or 'No change' , we just (pretend to) return the goods.....miracle happens.....Jeasus Christ has made wine out of water...shopekeeprs make change out of no where (after a brief search in the cash box ofcourse to, save his face)

Quiz master...please surface and enlighten us with the secret

....guessing loud....cracked open the zillion temple hundis doted all around the country?....the famous 1 rupee coin booths were banned?.....

Give the torn notes to beggars or as part of a tip.

I'm guessing sweets. This was a nice wee earner for a while!! I did once try to turn the tables and saved up all my sweets then tried to pay for goods from the same shop (jokingly of course) the guy saw the funny side but still refused to let me pay in "Sweetie currency"
Tight Jocks eh!!

While I was in Delhi I went to the bank to get some money and was surprised that the stack of rupees were stapled! Three large staples were all the way through the bills! I did more damage to them trying to remove the staples than years worth of wear....I still don't understand the need for that!

Maybe I should have told him about paper clips.....