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5 Rupees
| Issuer | Zanzibar Government |
|---|---|
| Year | 1908-1928 |
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| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | Printed in dark olive-green and gold on watermarked paper, the note carries a fine guilloche border with ornate Moorish-arch frames enclosing two intaglio vignettes: a dhow under sail on coastal waters at left, and workers harvesting cloves from a tall tree at right. A central cartouche bears an Arabic calligraphic inscription above the English promise-to-pay legend, with the denomination expressed in Arabic, Gujarati, and numeral form, flanked by arabesque ornaments at upper centre. Two manuscript signatures appear below the central text, attributed to the Financial Member of Council and the Treasurer, with red serial numbers at lower left and right. |
|---|---|
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| Protection description | Watermarked paper used as the primary security feature. |
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| Comments |
Zanzibar maintained its own currency administration entirely separate from British East Africa, a deliberate colonial arrangement reflecting the island's status as a protectorate under the Sultan rather than a direct Crown colony. The Government of Zanzibar — not a bank — issued these notes directly, which was unusual even by the standards of British-administered territories in the region.
Waterlow & Sons printed the series across a span of two decades without significant redesign, meaning early 1908 examples and late 1920s issues are distinguished primarily by date and signature rather than any substantive change to the plates. The long print run makes date-specific attribution important for serious collectors.