The Reserve Bank of India has issued ₹ 100 denomination banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi Series - 2005 with a new numbering pattern.

This move is to make their counterfeiting difficult and make it easy for members of public to identify genuine banknotes.

Now the numerals in both the number panels of these banknotes will be in ascending size from left to right, while the first three alphanumeric characters (prefix) will remain constant in size, the RBI said in the press release.

Printing the numerals in ascending size is a visible security feature in the banknotes so that the general public can easily distinguish a counterfeit note from a genuine one.

The Reserve Bank, in consultation with Government of India, has been improving security features of Indian banknotes.

The design of banknotes with numerals in ascending size is similar in all other respects to the current design of ₹100 banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi Series - 2005 except for the new numbering pattern, it added.

The banknotes will continue to have "₹" symbol on the obverse and the reverse, an inset letter 'R' in both the numbering panels, bear the signature of Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, and the year of printing '2015' printed on the reverse of the banknotes.

The RBI said that, all the banknotes in the denomination of ₹ 100 issued by the Reserve Bank in the past will continue to be legal tender.

The new numbering pattern will be introduced in a phased manner in all other denominations.

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