RBI: ₹500 banknotes with star symbol genuine. Why is it printed? Explained

Have you seen a banknote with a star (*) symbol and wondered if it’s fake? Don’t worry! The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) confirmed that notes with a star (*) symbol are genuine and valid. The asterisk (*) was introduced on the new ₹500 banknotes in December 2016.

RBI addressed rumours circulating on social media platforms, clarifying that the star (*) symbol on the number panel of the banknote indicates that it is a replaced or reprinted banknote. These star (*) banknotes are identical to other legal banknotes and are considered valid currency.

“A banknote with a Star (*) symbol is identical to any other legal banknote, except that in the number panel, a Star (*) symbol is added between the prefix and the serial number. The Star (*) symbol is an identifier that it is a replaced/reprinted banknote,” RBI said in a statement on Tuesday.

The RBI has been issuing ₹500 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) series, which bear the inset letter ‘E’ in both number panels. Some of these banknotes have an additional character ‘*’ (star) in the number panel, placed between the prefix and the number. This practice was introduced earlier with ₹10, ₹20, ₹50, and ₹100 banknotes, even before 2016.

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Why RBI issues Star banknotes?

The reason for issuing star series banknotes is to replace defectively printed banknotes during the printing process. When a defect is detected, these banknotes are replaced with new ones having the same serial number, ensuring the sequential order in the packet is maintained. The star series numbering system is part of RBI’s efforts to follow international best practices and ensure cost-effectiveness at printing presses.

If you come across a banknote packet with star series notes, don’t be alarmed. They are genuine and can be freely used as legal tender. The star series notes look the same as regular notes in the Mahatma Gandhi series but have an additional *(star) in the number panel, for e.g. may be 4CC*456987.

The packet will still contain 100 banknotes, but not necessarily in sequential order, and bands on the packets will clearly indicate the presence of star series notes. So, you can trust and use these star (*) banknotes without any concerns.