Author Archives: numista - Page 3

Ter-Centenary of Gur-Ta-Gaddi 10 rupees UNC set

Hyderabad Mint released 10 rupees UNC set (un-circulated set) of Ter Centenary of Gur ta Gaddi of Shri Guru Granth Sahib in 2008. The set consists of 1 coin of Rupees ten.

gur-ta-gaddi 10 rupees unc coin

gur-ta-gaddi reverse unc coin

We are currently selling this set for Rs 1,000/- + shipping & handling charges. We ship throughout India. We do not offer International shipping. Please contact us if you wish to purchase Ter-centenary of gur-ta-gaddi UNC set of Rs 10.

5 rupees 2007 Bal gangadhar tilakji error coin

In 2007, the RBI issued a 5 rupees commemorative coin honoring Bal Gangadhar Tilak. However, the lettering on the coin in Hindi mentioned Tilak as Tilakji. Bal Gangadhar Tilak is never referred to as Tilakji. Adding Ji at the end of the name is an Indian practice to show respect to the person (eg Gandhiji). At the inauguration of the coin at Delhi, the error was immediately brought to the notice of the authorities. Except for the low number of coins circulated on that day, no other such coins were circulated. Hence this coin became an error as well as rare coin of Republic of India.

5 rupees tilakji error coin 2007

Some unconfirmed reports mentioned that the error was brought to the notice of the authorities by Raj Thackeray. Fearing tension, the withdrawal decision was taken.

The steel coin is even rarer.

5 rupees tilakji steel coin

If you are interested in purchasing this coin, please contact us via the contact page on this website.

Mahatma Gandhi 1969 Proof set

Mahatma Gandhi Proof Set cover 1969

Mahatma Gandhi proof set of 1969 was issued by the Bombay mint. It consisted of 9 coins from 1 paisa to 10 rupees.

Mahatma gandhi 1969 proof set

This set is considered rare.

If you wish to purchase this set, please contact us via the website with an offer price.

1964 Jawaharlal Nehru Proof Set

Jawaharlal Nehru 1964 Proof Set

This two coin set was released by Bombay Mint in both Proof and Unc sets. It consists of 1 Rupee and 50 paise coins. The mint mark below the year is a diamond. The set was released in a black rexin box. The UNC set was released in a card board pack.

Jawaharlal Nehru 1 coin proof set 1964

This one coin VVIP set was released by Bombay mint. It consists of a 50 paise coin.

If you wish to purchase the 1964 Jawaharlal Nehru Proof sets, please contact us via the contact link with your offer price. Please note: We may not respond to offers without price or to offers with a very low offer price.

Decimal Coin Set 1962

Decimal Coin Proof Set 1962

Decimal coin proof set was issued by Bombay Mint in 1962. It consisted of 7 coins from 1 paisa to 1 rupee.

If you wish to purchase this set, please contact us using the “Contact Us” link on the top menu of the website.

Republic of india 1954 proof set

Republic of India 1954 proof set

This set consists of 7 coins. The set was minted in 1954 by the Bombay Mint.

If you wish to purchase this set, please contact us using the “Contact Us” link on the top menu of the website.

Republic of india 1950 Proof set

Republic of India 1950 proof set

This set consists of 7 coins. The set was minted in 1950 by the Bombay Mint. If you wish to purchase this set, please contact us using the “Contact Us” link on the top menu of the website.

Mint marks on Indian coins

Each currency coin minted in India (for that matter anywhere in the world) has a special mint mark on it to identify the Mint.

The Bombay (Mumbai) Mint
Bombay (Mumbai) Mint has a small dot or a diamond under the date of the coin (year of issue). The Proof coins from this mint have a mint mark ‘B’ or ‘M’.

Mumbai mint mark

The Calcutta Mint
Calcutta mint has no mark under the date of the coin (year of issue). Many people confuse “c” found under some coins to be from calcutta mint. However, that symbol belongs to the Ottawa mint in Canada.

calcutta mint mark

The Hyderabad Mint
Hyderabad Mint has a star or a diamond under the date of the coin (year of the issue). The other mint marks from Hyderabad include a split diamond, and a dot in the diamond.
hyderabad mint mark starHyderabad mint split diamondhyderabad mint dot diamond mark

The Noida Mint
Noida mint has a dot under the year of issue (coin date).

noida mint dot mark

Many of the India coins have been minted in foreign mints over the years. Some of the mint marks of these foreign mints are given below.

Royal Canada Mint
The Royal mint at Ottawa, Canada has a small letter “c” as the mint mark which is placed beneath the year of the issue.

canada mint mark

The Seoul Mint
Seoul mint mark is a five point star. The mark is placed exactly on the first or the last digit of the year of issue (date of coin).

Seoul Mint mark

The Royal Mint London
The Royal mint at Birmingham has a small dot which is placed exactly on the first digit of the year of issue.

The Moscow Mint
The Moscow mint has a mark MMD under an oval which is placed under the year of the issue of the coin.

Moscow Mint mark

Heaton Press Mint UK
The Heaton Press mint UK has a mark “H” under the last digit of the date. The symbol is decorated.

Heaton Press UK Mint Mark

Mexico City Mint
The Mexico City mint has a mark “M beneath o” under the date of the coin (year of the issue)

Mexico City mint mark

The other foreign mints where Indian republic coins were minted include Kremnca Mint, Pretoria Mint (South Africa) and Dominican Republic mint.

Images courtesy: Jina datha & Bha rat Coins

Proof coins vs Uncirculated coins

As a coin collector, it is important to know the difference between uncirculated and proof coins. As the name suggests, uncirculated coins are just that – uncirculated. They are of the same quality as circulated coins. The only difference being they have never been circulated in the market publicly. They may be packed in a sealed mint case and provided with a certificate. If preserved correctly, there should not be any visible scratches or marks on an uncirculated coin.

Proof coins on the other hand are of much higher quality than an uncirculated coins. They are specially minted to be a collector’s item and are never circulated in the market. Originally proof coins were used as a specimen coins. Before minting a new coin, few proof sets were prepared for approval by the King or the government. Later these sets were auctioned or sold off to collectors. About 200 years ago, these sets started attracting more and more attention. As a results many mints started minting proof sets for collectors.

In order to understand the difference between proof coins and uncirculated coins, it is important to know the process of coin minting. Coins are minted using a die that is struck on a metal base (usually round). Generally two dies strike a coin base on two faces (front face- obverse and back face- reverse).

A proof coin’s die is treated with special chemicals. The high points in the die are treated with acids where as the background (base) of the die is polished to give it a mirror like look. This gives a mirror finish to the proof coin in the base and a matt finish to the raise part of the coin face. Also proof coins are generally struck twice or more times to make sure that even the smallest elements of the design are clearly visible. Generally Proof coins production is manually handled i.e. they are fed into the machine for strike and then removed from the machine manually. Each proof coin is manually inspected before being packed. This results in a 99% flawless coin.

Although it is natural to assume that proof coins are more expensive compared to uncirculated coins, it may not be the case all the time. Proof coins also have a special mint marks to suggest they are proof coins.