Independent India issues: Coins highlighting social messages and civic virtues/sensibilities:
In addition to issuing coins in various denominations for general/bulk circulation, Indian mints have been issuing limited edition coins highlighting specific events, social messages, civic sensibilities concerns, spreading development related messages of World Organisations/bodies, Indian Government citizen welfare initiatives etc. I am putting up details of some of these coins which are in my collection and although the article has become slightly large, because of details of quite a few coins going up here, I have tried to keep the content as interesting as possible:
1) Twenty paise - Aluminium Bronze coin - with the message "Grow more Food" issued in 1970:
This coin was issued to focus on the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the setting up of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which was formed in 1945, soon after the end of World War II. The date of issue on this coin was 16th October 1970 i.e. the silver jubilee of the date of formation of the FAO. (It may be worth noting here, that 16th October is celebrated every year as the World Food Day from the year 1981 onwards and several coins have been issued by Indian mints on various occasions to focus on the importance of more food production and caring for the environment).
Also, in 1995, a coin in the five rupee denomination was issued to celebrate the Golden Jubilee - 50 years of existence of the FAO. I will be covering this coin under my post on "Indian coins honoring International Institutions".
The obverse of the twenty paise coin issued on this occasion, which shows the Lion Capital with the numeral "20" below it, and the words "Bharat" and "paise" in Hindi on the left flank and "India" and "paise" on the right flank.of the Lion Capital.
Reverse of the coin showing a lotus in full bloom in a water body with two ears of wheat flanking the lotus flower on either side(Lotus is the National Flower of India) and the symbolism here appears to show , that the Indian Nation is" blossoming into its full glory/potential" particularly in the matter of food production. The legend "Food for ALL" in English and "Sabke liye Anaaj" in Hindi appears on the bottom portion of the coin.
The creators of this coin have given a preference to placing the message in English before Hindi on this coin, as against the normal practice of giving precedence to Hindi , the official language of India (in deference to the World-wide nature of this message/celebration of the silver jubilee of the FAO ?)
This coin was minted at Calcutta (Kolkata) mint - no mint mark below the year of issue - 1970) .
2) Fifty paise - pure nickel - coin with the slogan "Grow more Food" issued in 1973:
This is the next coin in my collection, which has a social theme or civic responsibility. The focus of various Government policies, reflected on quite a few coins of that period issued during the first few decades of Independence, was on attaining self-sufficiency in Food production and providing housing/shelter to all citizens of India , especially to the economically weaker sections.This coin was one of the first few in proclaiming this message.
The obverse of this coin shows the Lion Capital, beneath which the numeral "50" is given, denoting the coin value , with the words "Bharat" and "paise" mentioned in Hindi, on one flank, and "India" and "paise" in English on the other flank of the Lion Capital. Notice that the words "Satyameva Jayate" (Truth always prevails) which are now an integral part of the emblem/Coat of arms of the Indian Government, have not made their debut on Indian coinage yet and were only added to the emblem and Indian coinage in 1983.
The reverse shows a tablet , in the nature of an Emperor Asoka edict (an edict is a public decree or proclamation by an Authority), and the focus is on "Adhik Anaaj Ugao" in Hindi and "Grow more Food" in English.The Hindi language has taken precedence over English, because it is the Official Language of India.
The "Edict tablet" is flanked on both sides by two ears of wheat as a symbolic representation of this message.
The "Edict tablet" is flanked on both sides by two ears of wheat as a symbolic representation of this message.
3) Ten and five paise - Aluminium Magnesium - coin with the slogan "Food and shelter for all" issued in 1978:
Much like the above coin , these coins proclaimed the message of Govt. of India's concerns/priorities
of providing "food and shelter for all" citizens of India.
A border design like the one on the coin image given below is called a "scallop" or" scalloped design".
Now how many of us know what a scallop is? Well, a scallop is an edible shell-fish and the design on this coin has edging in small curves which imitates the edge of a scallop shell. Simple!! Now you are familiar with another term in numismatics.
Obverse of the above coin. Here we have the Lion Capital and the numeral "10" denoting the denomination of this coin. The words "Bharat" and "paise" in Hindi and "India" and "paise in English flank the Lion Capital on either side.
Reverse of the ten paise shows a circle which looks like a picture within a picture (a kind of portrait - which most of us have seen in old Western movies like "For a few Dollars more" or "Gunfight at O.K. Corral") within which is a house - indicating a shelter , an ear of wheat - indicating stress on growing food and a river indicating fertile ground for food production.
Some of us may say , that, why should we not think of the three wavy lines as a road or a connect between a house leading upto the fields where the food is growing. Yes, why not? After all official versions leave room for various other interpretations.
There is also a message around the circle which says "Sabke liye Anaaj aur makaan" in Hindi which actually means "Food and Housing for All". The message in English is slightly different and says "Food and shelter for all" . Pretty ambiguous, huh? And again, the English version of the message is open to all kinds of interpretations. :-)
The coin , though considerably worn out, appears to have been minted at Calcutta (Kolkata) mint. Notice that there is no mint mark below the year of issue.
Reverse of the five paise coin in my collection showing the house, ears of wheat, and the river/canal/water symbolising fertile land.
This coin has been minted at Mumbai mint. Notice the diamond mint mark below the word "shelter". The mint has made a departure from the usual practice of putting the mint mark below the year of issue.
This coin has come to my collection from my sister-in-law who was teaching little children in classes one and two, the virtues of money, and this coin was a part of the set of coins used for letting them have a first hand experience of knowing about coins. After she quit teaching in school, three of these coins, in the denominations of five, three and one paise have come to my collection.
4) International Women's Year - Aluminium Magnesium - Coin with the message "Equality, Development , Peace issued in 1975:
This coin was issued to focus on the United Nations Organization (UNO) call for declaring 1975 as the "International Women's Year" and for focusing on the cause of welfare of women world-wide.
This coin, also, has scalloped edges and the same size and weight as the ten paise coin above.
Obverse of the coin mentioned above, showing the Lion Capital with the numeral "10" below it, and the words "Bharat" and "paise" in Hindi on the left flank and "India" and " paise" in English on the right Flank of the Lion Capital.
Reverse of the coin showing a "portrait" within a circle, of a women's face looking left , a dove towards the top, the universal symbol signifying "World peace" There are two symbols at the bottom of the coin "=" followed by the universal symbol denoting a female. The message symbolizes "Equality for Women".Although my coin has been quite worn out, these symbols and the dove are clearly visible.On the right hand side of the image is an ear of wheat and water below it, symbolizing "Development" through achieving self-sufficiency in food production.(This was a constant message in various denominations of Indian coins over the past few decades).
The words "Equality, Development, Peace" are mentioned in English on the top half and "Samaanta, Vikaas and Shanti" in Hindi on the lower half of the coin.Here, too, the creators of this coin have given a preference to placing the message in English on top of the coin , as against the normal practice of giving precedence to Hindi , the official language of India (in deference to the World-wide nature of this message?).
Oh yes, one thing is still left. Where is the year of issue and which mint has made this coin? As there is no space left for the year, the numerals 19 and 75 have been split up , the first two numerals going to the left hand side at the centre and the last two numerals going to the right hand side at the same place. This coin appears to have been minted at Calcutta (No mint marks are visible).
5) International Year of the Child - Aluminium Magnesium coin - with the message " Happy Child - Nation's Pride" issued in 1979:
This coin was issued for circulation in two denominations - ten paise and five paise. This is a ten paise coin from my collection, issued to focus attention on the welfare and well-being of children as the United Nations Organization had given a call to treat the year 1979 as the " International Year of the Child".
The obverse, again , shows the Lion Capital, with the numeral "10" below it and the words "Bharat" and "paise" in Hindi on the left flank and "India" and "paise" in English on the right flank of the Lion Capital.
The reverse has a boy and a girl encompassed by a rectangular slate, symbolizing "proper education" for every child. A bright sun shines over them symbolizing "happy and healthy times" , below the image are two laurels , symbolizing "the hope of victory/achievement in attaining the goal of health and education for all children". The "laurels" can also be interpreted as two ears of wheat symbolizing "food for all children". On top of the coin is the slogan, "Bacche ki Muskaan - Raashtra ki Shaan" in Hindi and the message is repeated on the lower half of the coin in English "Happy child - Nation's pride"..
This coin is issued in 1979 by the Mumbai (Bombay) mint . Notice the diamond mint mark , below the year of issue and the English version of the message.
6) Rural Women's Advancement - Aluminium Magnesium - coin for 10 paise issues and - Cupro-nickel coin - for 25 paise issues:
The Indian Government was laying stress on Integrated Rural Development Programmes (IRDP) , in the early eighties, particularly for women, and when I joined the State Bank of India in 1982, as a Probationary Officer, I was posted for some time to a rural branch for training . I would go along with the Branch Loan officers in the Branch Jeep out to the remote areas within the Branch's area of loaning and identify potential candidates , with the help of DIstrict and village authorities , for providing them financial assistance, as a part of my training. Several women were financed on subsidised loans for purchasing sewing machines, or developing skills in handicrafts, food processing - making tomato ketchup, pickles and papads etc. and quite a few of them showed good enterprise and self-confidence in bettering their lot.
The obverse of the coin shows the Lion Capital with the numeral "10" below it, and the words, "Bharat" and "paise" in Hindi on the left side and "India" and "paise" in English on the right side of the Lion Capital.
Reverse of a 1980 ten paise coin issued by Hyderabad mint , (five pointed star mint mark below the year of issue 1980) showing a woman at work at an automatic harvester-thresher and the slogan "Gramin mahilaon Ki Pragati " in Hindi and "Rural Women's Advanvement" in English.
The picture also shows a storage section for grain, a kind of rudimentary granary, commonly found in rural villages in India ans steel pylons for carrying electric cables , indicating that, supplying electricity to villages is an integral part of rural development.
The obverse of a 25 paise coin, also shows the Lion Capital with the numeral "25" below it, and the words "Bharat" and "paise" on the left side and "India" and "paise" in English on the right side of the Lion Capital.
Reverse of a 1980 25 paise coin , also issued by Hyderabad mint (star mint mark below the year of issue) showing the same features as the ten paise coin above.
7) Twenty paise - Aluminium Magnesium - coin celebrating the Second World Food Day 1982:
As mentioned in item No. 1 above, 16th October is celebrated as World Food Day wef 1981 onwards on the request of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and coins have been minted over various years by India to focus on the requirement of laying stress on food production/ achieving self-sufficiency in food production. I do not have specimens of the 1981 coins issued , in my collection, but , I have a 20 paise coin from the 1982 edition, hexagonal in shape, which is represented here.
The weight of this coin is 2.2 gms. and it measures 27 mm across two opposite corners and 20 mm across two opposite sides.
The obverse of the coin shows the Lion Capital with the numeral "20" below it and the words "Bharat" and "paise" in Hindi on the left flank and "India" and "paise in English on the right side of the Lion Capital.
Reverse of the coin has an interesting design of the World held in two palms/hands. Three lines across denote the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and the Equator, (much like the pattern on the one Escudo coin of Portuguese Estado Da India - given under my post of the same name on this blog.), with an ear of wheat spanning across from the North Pole to the South Pole symbolizing the emphasis on food production across the whole World.
Around the picture of the World is a design which can be variously interpreted as dynamic energy encompassing the World growth of food production, a "gear" as the driving force for food production around the World or just an attractive design. Within the outer design are the letters "F, A and O" (acronym for Food and Agriculture Organization), on the left, top and right sides and the date "16 Oct" on the lower side (date on which World Food Day is celebrated/organized).
Later coins issued by Indian mints celebrating World Food Day have the FAO symbol/emblem , which is an ear of wheat flanked by the letters "F" on the left side, "A" on top and "O" on the right hand side.and this symbol is placed within a circle. (Please see the coin on Small Farmers - World Food Day 1987, given a couple of coins below for this elaboration).
On the left flank are the words "Vishwa Khaad Divas" in Hindi and on the right are the words "World Food Day" in English. At the bottom is the year of issue - 1982.
This coin has been minted by Hyderabad mint. ( Star mint mark below the year of issue).
8) One rupee coin showcasing the work done by the "Integrated Child Development Services" Organisation during its 15 years of existence from 1975 to 1990. Coin issued in 1991:
A unique scheme for development of children , particularly of Ecomonically Weaker Sections (EWS) of society, was started in 1975 for providing free food and health care facilities . All children related integrated facilities were provided by an Organization called "Integrated Child Development Services" (ICDS). This coin has come into my collection only last week, and has been given by my neighbour to include in my coin collection/blog.
Obverse of the coin shows the Lion Capital with the numeral "1" below it. The words "Bharat" and "Paise" in Hindi are on the left side of the coin and "India" and "paise" in English are on the right hand side of the Lion Capital.
Reverse of the coin shows a mother holding a child in her lap , and both appear to be radiating good health/energy around them. On the left side of the coin are the words "Samekit Baal Vikas Seva Yojana ke 15 Varsh" and the words "15 years of ICDS" are on the right . On top are the words "Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam" which means "All the World is a Family". This coin is minted by Mumbai mint.(Notice the diamond mint mark below the mother and child symbolism). The year of issue per se has not been mentioned, because of lack of space.
9) One rupee coin highlighting the contribution of "Small Farmers" to India's Food Production (7th World Food Day) 1987 :
This coin was issued on the occasion of 7th World Food Day in October 1987.
Obverse of the coin shows the Lion Capital with the numeral "1" below it. The words, "Bharat" and "paise" in Hindi are on the left flank and "India" and "paise" in English on the right flank of the Lion Capital.
The reverse of the coin shows a farmer couple sowing paddy in their water covered fields. Even while I was posted at a rural Branch of State Bank of India, with a view to having a first hand view of the difficulties being faced by small farmers, I have helped a couple of farmers plant their crops in a paddy field , by rolling up my trousers and getting into the water covered fields for sowing the paddy. What I thought was an easy bit of work, but it turned out to be a really back-breaking experience. We really need to appreciate the work being done by not only small farmers , but all farmers, in India and the World. This coin aims to make a beginning in that direction.
On the left side of the coin is mentioned "Chotte Kisaan " in Hindi and on the right side are the words "Small Farmers" . The year of issue is at the bottom of the coin. This coin was issued by Mumbai mint (Diamond mint mark below the year of issue - 1997). On top of the design is the FAO emblem/symbol with an ear of wheat and the letters "F,A,and O" placed within a circle.
10) One rupee coin highlighting the need to "Care for the Girl Child" issued in 1990:
At the call of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) , comprising seven countries in South Asia including India), India highlighted the need to take care of the Girl Child as much as the Boy child.
This was, particularly important, as cases of female infanticide, ill-treating the Girl child due to social customs of giving a higher status to the sons, led to the need for treating the Girl child with respect and according her an equal status in the family/society. As such 1990 was declared the "Year of the Girl Child".
Obverse of the coin shows the Lion capital with the numeral "1" below it and the words "Bharat" and "paise in Hindi on the left side, and "India" and "paise" on the right side of the Lion Capital.
The reverse of the coin shows a Girl child joyously raising her hands and a bright sun shining on her, symbolising Health and happiness for her.
The SAARC logo/symbol of two hands uniting these seven countries to act as one, is to the left of the child.
The slogan "Khushhaal Balika Bhavishya Desh Ka " in Hindi is on the left side of the coin, and the words "Care for the Girl Child" in English is on the right hand side of the coin
11) Two rupee coin celebrating the 13thWorld Food Day with the theme of Bio-Diversity - issued in 1993:.
With growing awareness about global pollution and ecological and environmental imbalances , the focus on this World Food Day , shifted from growing more food, to caring for the bio-diversity around us , so as to maintain an ecological balance for a healthy planet. Accordingly, a two rupee coin was taken out by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to highlight the need to take care of this aspect.
Obverse of the coin shows a Lion Capital , flanked with the numeral "2" below it. On the left side are the Hindi words "Bharat" and "paise". On the right side are the English words"India" and "paise".
The reverse of the coin has a central picture showing a fish swimming in water (symbolising aquatic life), a tortoise on the banks of a water body (symbolising prosperity on land and for amphibious life), trees and grass (symbolising life on land) , a bird (symbolising Avian life), and mountains (symbolising shelter) and a cloud (symbolising a constant replenishment of the most vital ingredient of life - water).
The FAO symbol/emblem is on top of the picture (symbolising that all this care for bio-diversity is happenning under the aegis of the Food and Agriculture Organisation).
This coin has been issued by Hyderabad mint.(See the five pointed star mint mark below the year of issue - 1993).
12) Two Rupee coin propagating the message "Small Family - Happy Family " on World Population Day - 1993:
This coin was issued on World Population Day, i.e. 11th July 1993, to highlight the need for population control and having a planned small family.
Obverse of the coin showing the Lion Capital with the numeral "2" below it. On the left are the words "Bharat" and "paise" in Hindi and the words "India" and "paise" are and on the rightside of the coin.
On the reverse is a family of four - two parents and two children. Notice anything different in the picture?
Any symbolism of a small and happy family normally shows two parents and a boy and a girl.
However, this coin has the picture of two girls and no boy. This coin carries the message of "Care for the Girl Child"(mentioned in item no. 9 above) further , and shows that, it is alright to have two girls as part of a small family and, that there was no need to have an indiscriminately planned family , only for begetting a son.
The two girls in the picture seem to have been very well taken care of and loved by their parents, with one of them holding a set of 11 balloons (an auspicious number in India) and the other child standing confidently by the side of her father (symbolising that the wishes and aspirations of the Girl Child are being taken care of by their parents).
The creators/designers of this coin deserve to be complimented for this excellent symbolism on this coin.
On the top half of this coin this message is put into words "Chhota parivaar - Khushian Apaar" in Hindi and on the lower half the message is repeated in English "Small Family - Happy Family".
This coin is minted by the Mumbai mint (Diamond mint mark placed not below the year of issue 1993, but below the letter "H" in Happy Family (because, there is no space left below the year of issue).
13) Five rupee coin propagating the message "Mother's Health is Child's Health" on World Population Day 1996:
This coin issued on World Population Day , aims at highlighting the concern that both mothers and children should be well looked after , both health-wise and nutritious food-wise. Society in general should pay extra attention to expectant mothers and women having small children, so as reduce the risk of infant mortality and increase the life expectancy of both mothers and children.
Obverse of the coin shows the Lion Capital, with the numeral "5" below it. The words "Bharat" and "paise" are on the left side and the words "India" and "paise" in English are on the right side of the Lion Capital.
The reverse of the coin shows a triangle ( for long recognised as a symbol of family planning) and a mother holding her small child within this triangle. On top of the coin is the message,"Swastha Maa Se Swasth
Shishu " in Hindi and on the lower section of the coin is the message "Mother's Health is Child's Health" in English.
On the top of the triangle, is the year of issue - 1996 , with the Mumbai mint mark "diamond" below it.
14) Two Rupee coin with the message "Water for Life" issued on 14th World Food Day - 1994:
This coin was brought out on the occasion of the 14th World Food Day with the theme of focussing on the need to use water resources judiciously and with care, water being an essential requirement for sustaining life on this planet.
Obverse of the coin shows the Lion capital with the numeral "2" below it, and the words "Bharat" and "paise" in Hindi to the left and "India" and "paise" in English to the right of the Lion Capital.
The reverse of the coin shows a drop of water , with a water body below it. (symbolizing that every drop of water is precious to life and is, also, a vital unit towards building the vast water bodies of the planet).
On the left side are the words" Jal Jeevan Ka Adhaar - Vishwa Khaad Divas"" in Hindi and on the right side is the message "Water for Life - World Food Day " in English. The FAO emblem/symbol is placed on top of the coin (the symbol , as mentioned above, consists of an ear of corn placed in a circle , with the letters F,A and O placed around the ear of wheat).
This coin is minted at Kolkata mint (no mint mark below the year of issue - 1994).
In addition to the coins shown above, Indian mints have participated in programmes for taking out coins on the themes of "National Integration" in the two rupee denomination, from 1982 onwards at various points of time and "Unity in Diversity" in two and one rupee coins , which I have separately covered in my posts on two and one rupee coins elsewhere on this blog.
I am also missing a few coins in this segment /category which I am constantly on the lookout for, to complete my collection in this segment.
Posted on 30.05.2018:
The Reverse of a One Rupee Coin issued on the occasion of "International Year of the Family" celebrated in "1994" . The peripheral inscription in Hindi reads " Antarrashtriya Parivaar Varsh".
In the centre is a beautiful engraving of two couples doting over a child with his/her arms raised in a playful posture. This image also turns into a cradle in which both couples seem to be looking at a child.
The Obverse of the above one rupee coin features the Lion Capital with the slogan "Saytamev Jayate" below it (meaning "Truth Always Prevails"). On the left periphery are engraved the name of the issuing country "Bharat" and "Rupiya" (in Hindi) and "India" and "Rupee" (in English) on the right periphery.
Some interesting links on Indian coins on this Blog:
Links to other posts on Indian Currency/Banknote denominations on this blog:
10) Did-you-know-series-1: Assists for identification of Currency Notes by visually challenged users
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