Derivation

• The original derivation of the word is debatable; however, it was the Pashto (Afghan) Emperor Sher Shah Suri who coined the word during his rule of India in the mid 16th century. According to financial resource ADVFN, the monetary system was standardized later under his Mughal successors. Pronunciation of the word 'rupee' varies between countries. Further differences in pronunciation occur at a regional level, resulting in a multitude of words all with the same meaning. However from the Gujerati rupiyo to the Nepali rupaiya, the first phonetic syllable 'ru' is consistent throughout all official languages.
  
  

Denominations

• After decimilization in Sri Lanka in 1969, the rupee became divided into 100 Paise. Common modern denominations include 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. Due to its relatively diminutive value, however, the rupee is also found in larger denominations of 100,000, known as a lakh. Further, a crore/karor is worth 100 lakh.
  
  

Value

• Due to the rapid emergence of India as a modern manufacturing powerhouse, the Indian rupee is regarded as a stable currency. It currently trades at approximately 45 to the dollar. The rupees of other countries are weaker as reflections of their weaker economies.
  
  

Symbol

• On July 15th, 2010 India unveiled a new symbol for the rupee. The new symbol reflects the letter R in Devanagari script, which is used in the Hindi and Sanskrit languages of India.
  
  

Fictional Usage

• The rupee's fictional usage takes the form of colorful crystals often hidden in precarious locations in the 'Legend of Zelda' series of video games. As the games' central character, Link, you can collect the crystals and use them as currency to purchase items that aid your quest.