MUR – Mauritius or Mauritian Rupee

Monetary System

1 Mauritian rupee (MUR) = 100 cents

2013 – 2023 Issues

On 22 August 2013, Bank of Mauritius issued new 25-, 50-, and 500-rupee banknotes on polymer. The 25- and 50-rupee notes were printed by Oberthur Technologies on Innovia Security’s Guardian substrate, whereas the 500-rupee note was printed on De La Rue’s Safeguard substrate (formerly called Flexycoin). The new polymer notes circulated in parallel with the preceding paper banknotes upon which their designs are based. The notes contain numerous new security features such as transparent windows showing the image of the dodo, numbers printed with magnetic ink which become fluorescent under ultra violet light, and swing features printed in iridescent ink, which change to a different color when observed in transparency or when tilted. According to a press release dated 28 October 2021, Bank of Mauritius introduced upgraded 25- and 50-rupee polymer banknotes (B430b and B431 b, respectively) with the incorporation of a new security feature, Gemini, which is a dual fluorescent feature visible under UV light. Gemini is a feature from De La Rue, indicating a possible change in printers as these notes were previously thought to be printed by Oberthur Technologies. Each note has a 6-digit serial number and 2-letter prefix. The first letter of the prefix corresponds to the denomination (H = 25 rupees, J = 50, P = 500 and 1,000, T = 1,000), and the second letter advances alphabetically. New varieties have prefixes that resume where the preceding varieties end.

Description: 25.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 135 x 65 mm

Violet and brown. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Milin Moilin Jean Ah-Chuen; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; dodo bird. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; dodo bird; building façade, Rodrigues island map; man with trap. No security thread. Watermark (shadow image): RS. Printer: (Oberthur Technologies). 135 x 65 mm. Polymer (Guardian).

Description: 50.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 140 x 68 mm

Blue. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Joseph Maurice Paturau; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; dodo bird. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; dodo bird; Le Caudan waterfront buildings. No security thread. Watermark (shadow image): RS. Printer: (Oberthur Technologies). 140 x 68 mm. Polymer (Guardian).

Description: 500.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 155 x 74 mm

Orange. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Sookdeo Bissoondoyal; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; blue-to-green OVI patch. Back: Blue-to-green OVI patch; University of Mauritius building and palm trees in Reduit. No security thread. Watermark (shadow image): None. Printer: (De La Rue). 155 x 74 mm. Polymer (Safeguard).

Description: 2,000.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 167 x 78 mm

Red and purple. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Seewoosagur Ramgoolam; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; holographic patch; spider conch shell. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; spider conch shell; man with ox cart laden with sugar cane. Watermark: None. Printer: (De La Rue). 167 x 78 mm. Polymer (Safeguard).

2010 – 2017 Issues

These notes are like the preceding issues, but with improved security features. The 200- and 500-rupee banknotes now have a multi-image holographic patch at upper right front. On the 200-rupee note, the patch is of a dodo and the denomination. On the 500-rupee note, the patch is of a deer and the denomination. On the 1,000-rupee note, there’s a depth image hologram of the Bank of Mauritius Tower with a key and the denomination in the background.

Description: 200.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 150 x 72 mm

Green. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Minister Abdool Razack Mohamed; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; holographic patch; spider conch shell as registration device. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; spider conch shell; produce stalls at Port Louis Central Market. Windowed security thread with demetalized BANK OF MAURITIUS. Watermark: Dodo bird head and Cornerstones. Printer: (De La Rue). 150 x 72 mm. Paper.

Description: 500.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 155 x 74 mm

Orange. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Sookdeo Bissoondoyal; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; holographic patch; spider conch shell as registration device. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; spider conch shell; University of Mauritius building and palm trees in Reduit. Windowed security thread with demetalized BANK OF MAURITIUS. Watermark: Dodo bird head. Printer: (De La Rue). 155 x 74 mm. Paper.

Description: 1,000.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 160 x 76 mm

Blue. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Charles Gaetan Duval; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; holographic patch; spider conch shell as registration device. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; spider conch shell; Château of Réduit (official residence of the president). Windowed security thread with demetalized BANK OF MAURITIUS. Watermark: Dodo bird head. Printer: (De La Rue). 160 x 76 mm. Paper.

1999 – 2017 Issues

These notes restored the traditional order of the text on front as English/Tamil/Hindi. Furthermore the designs were modified slightly to incorporate a screen trap pattern in areas that had been white. The 100-rupee note changed colors noticeably. The portrait on the 1,000-rupee note is much more flattering, and the Château of Réduit (official residence of the president) replaced the sega (Mauritian folkloric) dancers on the back because some people were offended by the stereotype of Creoles as dancers. Finally, silver foil ovals were added to the front of the 500- and 1,000-rupee notes. All denominations 100 rupees and larger have a wide iridescent stripe on back on all dates.

Description: 25.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 135 x 65 mm

Violet and brown. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Milin Moilin Jean Ah-Chuen; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; spider conch shell as registration device. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; spider conch shell; building façade, Rodrigues island map; man with trap. Windowed security thread with demetalized BANK OF MAURITIUS. Watermark: Varieties. Printer: (De La Rue). 135 x 65 mm. Paper.

Description: 50.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 140 x 68 mm

Blue. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Joseph Maurice Paturau; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; spider conch shell as registration device. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; spider conch shell; Le Caudan waterfront buildings. Windowed security thread with demetalized BANK OF MAURITIUS. Watermark: Varieties. Printer: (De La Rue). 140 x 68 mm. Paper.

Description: 100.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 145 x 70 mm

Orange and brown. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Renganaden Seeneevassen; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; spider conch shell as registration device. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; spider conch shell; Court House building; trees. Windowed security thread with demetalized BANK OF MAURITIUS. Watermark: Varieties.Printer: (De La Rue). 145 x 70 mm. Paper.

Description: 200.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 150 x 72 mm.

Green. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Minister Abdool Razack Mohamed; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; spider conch shell as registration device. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; spider conch shell; produce stalls at Port Louis Central Market. Windowed security thread with demetalized BANK OF MAURITIUS. Watermark: Varieties. Printer: (De La Rue). 150 x 72 mm. Paper.

Description: 500.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 155 x 74 mm

Orange. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Sookdeo Bissoondoyal; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; silver foil oval; spider conch shell as registration device. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; spider conch shell; University of Mauritius building and palm trees in Reduit. Windowed security thread with demetalized BANK OF MAURITIUS. Watermark: Dodo bird head. Printer: (De La Rue). 155 x 74 mm. Paper.

Description: 1,000.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 160 x 76 mm

Blue. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Charles Gaetan Duval; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; silver foil oval; spider conch shell as registration device. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; spider conch shell; Château of Réduit (official residence of the president). Windowed security thread with demetalized BANK OF MAURITIUS. Watermark: Dodo bird head. Printer: (De La Rue). 160 x 76 mm. Paper.

Description: 2,000.00 MUR – Mauritius Rupee Size: 167 x 78 mm

Red and purple. Front: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; coat of arms; Seewoosagur Ramgoolam; bank building façade; standing Justice with sword and scales; holographic patch; spider conch shell as registration device. Back: English, Hindi, and Tamil text; spider conch shell; man with ox cart laden with sugar cane. Windowed security thread with demetalized BANK OF MAURITIUS. Watermark: Dodo bird head. Printer: (De La Rue). 167 x 78 mm. Paper.

Extras

• On 25 September 2007, Manou Bheenick, governor of the Bank of Mauritius, announced a design competition for a new family of banknotes to be issued in 2009 to celebrate the bank’s 40th anniversary. Under the theme of “Banknotes—Mirrors of our Motherland,” this eighth series of notes should relate to the islands’ history, culture, ecology, industry, architecture, and landscape. Rs30,000 was awarded to the winner of the best design as chosen by a jury of eight local artists. The competition was open to Mauritian nationals only, and proposals must have been submitted by 31 October 2007. The bank also conducted a study on the Mauritian people’s preferences about the patterns to include on these new notes. “The idea is to know what the Mauritian people want to see on the banknotes,” said Bheenick. Ultimately, however, nothing came of the competition.
• According to a press release dated 17 June 2016, the Bank of Mauritius has begun planning a new family of banknotes to be issued in a phased manner beginning in the second half of 2017 with improved security features and entirely new designs. The portraits will be replaced with illustrative elements that may include Mauritius’ “national heritage, history, culture, endemic species of the Mauritian flora and fauna, and distinctive landscapes.” As with the previous design competition, this new proposal was also shelved.