Currency note with * symbol in number panel valid note: RBI

Amid circulation of wrong information on social media about the validity of banknotes with a star (*) symbol in the number panel, the Reserve Bank of India on Thursday issued a clarification saying it is a legal tender like other banknotes.

“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 RBI said in a statement.

According to the RBI, the star symbol in the number panel is an identifier that it is a replaced/reprinted banknote. These replacement banknotes are put into circulation to ensure that the overall quality and integrity of the currency supply is maintained, it added.

The central bank’s clarification came in the backdrop of speculations and discussions on social media on the validity of banknotes with a star symbol.

“It has come to the notice of the Reserve Bank that the validity of banknotes with a star (*) symbol present on the number panel has recently been the subject of discussions on some social media platforms,” the RBI noted in a statement.

“In this connection, it is informed that the star (*) symbol is inserted in the number panel of a banknote that is used as replacement for defectively printed banknotes,” it added.