The Journey of the First Rs 100 Banknote of Mauritius

The story of the new Rs 100 banknote began in June 1982, when the newly installed government assigned the task of leading this project to the Minister of Arts and Culture, Rama Poonoosamy.

The initial proposal submitted under the previous regime by Mark Shepherd from the British firm Bradbury Wilkinson aimed to showcase Mauritian diversity through images of children from various supposed ‘communities’ with religious buildings in the background. However, it was quickly rejected, partly because it was clear that the children were not Mauritian.

The minister then decided to assign the task to a Mauritian graphic designer. I was approached for this role, as I was the head of the design department at the College of Waves, after studying graphic design in Paris.

To meet the security requirements for banknotes, I was supported by master engraver Terry Thorn from Bradbury Wilkinson. Together, we worked according to the specifications given by Minister Rama Poonoosamy, representing landscapes, flora, fauna, and cultural elements to give the banknotes an authentically Mauritian identity. We toured the forests of the country to photograph and gather elements of our flora, such as the carrot wood and aloe vera, which appear on the Rs 100 banknote.

On the front of this first Rs 100 banknote, we see the water lilies from the Pamplemousses botanical garden, with a stylized border of water lilies and bougainvillea flowers at the bottom. The vertical edges feature designs of papaya trunks and leaves, along with a weaving of palm leaves. The cart driver, a profession that is now disappearing, is also depicted.

On the reverse side, we chose the seven-colored earth of Chamarel for its unique beauty, symbolizing harmony.

Upon seeing the final work, Minister Rama Poonoosamy praised us and suggested adding a ‘secret’ element to the banknote. He also asked us to design a new Rs 50 banknote.

This Rs 50 note honors handmade cultural objects, specifically clay lamps, called ‘diyas’, arranged as if to celebrate Diwali, along with objects used in worship, such as a container known in Tamil as ‘touakal’, used for incense rituals. The vertical edges are illustrated with a decorative alignment of pots and clay lamps. Featured on the front is also a pair of Pink Pigeons.

The reverse highlights Mauritius’ unique flora and fauna, including deer, with a traveler’s tree (Ravenala) in the background, the butterfly Papilio manlius, the hibiscus genevii, and, to complete the design, a majestic Kestrel, Falco punctatus, which later became our national bird.

Minister Rama Poonoosamy described the beautiful Rs 50 banknote as a work of art. Later, he was invited to London for a week by Bradbury Wilkinson but declined the invitation, suggesting that the Mauritian graphic designer already working on the banknotes visit the Bradbury Wilkinson workshops for further training.

I spent three weeks at the Bradbury Wilkinson Security Firm workshops in Surrey, England, to illustrate the Rs 100 and Rs 50 banknote mock-ups while adhering to the security feature areas, such as the pre-embedded silver thread in the notes and the watermark depicting the dodo.

I assisted the experts in translating my designs into engravings, carving the patterns using mechanical tools, including a steel punch. This process, known as intaglio, allows for the creation of fine, deep lines that hold the ink.

I was amazed by the result, which provided a tactile relief that is difficult to counterfeit.

A working session with Interpol officers to train me in counterfeit detection concluded my stay at Bradbury Wilkinson. Upon returning to Mauritius, I eagerly awaited the circulation of these banknotes that I had the honor of creating with the support of specialists and the encouragement of Rama Poonoosamy.

I still hope that another Mauritian graphic designer will one day have the privilege of designing more Mauritian banknotes, even if just to refresh the current series.

Palmesh Cuttaree