Posts

Showing posts from November, 2018

New Commemorative Coin: Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.

Image
The Government of India has received the proposal to issue a ₹100 commemorative coin and a postage stamp to mark the ' Centenary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre '. Member of Rajya Sabha, Mr. Shwait Malik, has confirmed the proposal, stating, 'It has been proposed to introduce a commemorative coin and postage stamp to inculcate a feeling of patriotism during the centenary. Another proposal is to introduce programs like a 7-D documentary, depicting the massacre and its real-time feel through a light and sound show. Special cultural activities such as ‘Kavi Samelans’, plays, exhibitions, and seminars dedicated to Jallianwala Bagh will be conducted separately across the country.'   The issuance of the coin will only be confirmed once the gazette notification is issued by the Ministry of Finance. Additionally, there are several other possible commemorative coins scheduled for release in the upcoming months.

GOI to Celebrate 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev

Image
The Union Ministry of Culture announced a series of activities to celebrate the 550th Birth Anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Shri Guru Nanak Dev, beginning from Friday. The center has decided to issue a commemorative coin with postage stamp and celebrate the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev from November this year on an international level in a fitting manner, as stated by the Ministry of Culture. In September, there was a possibility of the release of a new commemorative coin on Guru Nanak Dev, as previously communicated to you. Let's hope that both a non-circulating and a circulating commemorative coin will be issued on this occasion, rather than just a non-circulating coin. The gazette notification from the Ministry of Finance should provide further clarity on this matter.

Tectonic shift in GOI's policy on commemorative coins

Image
There might be a significant change in the Government of India's policy regarding commemorative coins . In recent months, there have been reports suggesting that no more commemorative coins will be issued in smaller denominations such as Re 1, Rs 2, Rs 5, and Rs 10. The issuance of commemorative coins for ' Shri Guru Gobind Singh ' and the ' First Flag Hoisting Day ' through gazette notifications suggests a potential shift towards issuing commemorative coins only in higher denominations which are non-circulating coins. Although this policy is relatively new in India, many countries have implemented similar measures by releasing non-circulating coins. However, this shift may pose challenges for new collectors, potentially diminishing the joy of collecting circulation coins, as they may find it difficult to afford mint sets for each commemorative coin. This information was shared by Numismatist Mr. Sanjay Kansal, and there is hope that this policy might be reconsidere

New Coins Bookings: National Archives of India, Mysore University and Nabakalebara

Image
The India Government Mint, Mumbai has opened the bookings of commemorative coins in Proof and UNC sets issued to mark the ' 125 years of National Archives of India ', ' Centenary of University of Mysore ' and ' Shri Jagannath Nabakalebara '. The bookings for these commemorative coins are open for a period of three months, starting from November 17, 2018, and concluding on February 16, 2019. The Proof Coin Sets of 'National Archives of India' and 'Centenary of University of Mysore' is priced at ₹3975 and the UNC Sets is priced at ₹3135. However, the Proof Set of 'Shri Jagannath Nabakalebara' is priced at ₹4295 and UNC Set at ₹3540 as the ₹1000 coin is minted with 80% Silver instead of usual Quaternary Alloy. The coin sets can be booked online through the India Government Mint website or offline by submitting a Demand Draft. If you're new to ordering these coins online or offline, the ' Booking through India Mint ' post might

New Commemorative Coin: First Flag Hoisting Day

Image
The Government of India announced on Tuesday that it will release a commemorative coin of Rs 75 to mark the ' 75th Anniversary of the First Hoisting of the Tricolour by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose' at Port Blair. The Ministry of Finance has issued the gazette notification on November 13th, 2018. The metal composition of the ₹100 coin will consist of a Quaternary Alloy, comprising 50% Silver, 40% Copper, 5% Nickel, and 5% Zinc. The coin will weigh 35 grams and have a diameter of 44 mm, featuring 200 serrations along the edge. The obverse side of the coin will feature the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar at the center, with the inscription "सत्यमेव जयते" below. On the left periphery, the word “भारत” in Devanagari script, and on the right periphery, the word “INDIA” in English will be inscribed. Additionally, the coin will include the Rupee symbol “₹” and the denominational value “75” in international numerals, positioned below the Lion Capitol. The reverse side of the

Why Shortage in Supply of Commemorative Coins?

Image
In recent times, numismatists who collect commemorative coins have faced difficulties in finding newly released coins in general circulation. Even though these coins were released a couple of years ago, and some were available under Proof and UNC sets, their circulation has been limited, posing a challenge for collectors. Multiple factors contribute to this situation. The primary issue is the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) facing challenges in lifting stocks from the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL) due to a shortage of storage capacity. Since coins are assets of the Ministry of Finance under the Government of India, both the RBI and SPMCIL are currently experiencing cash constraints. The RBI is unable to pay SPMCIL unless it lifts and hands over the coins to commercial banks. Another challenge arises from a section of the public rejecting Rs. 10 coins, claiming them to be fake. This misconception has led to a situation where storage capacity is being