Errors in Bhagwan Mahaveer 2550th Nirvan Kalyanak Coins

The India Government Mint, Hyderabad, has started dispatching the ₹100 commemorative coin issued on the occasion of Bhagwan Mahaveer 2550th Nirvan Kalyanak, with bookings opening from April 22, 2024.

It has come to notice that some of the later dispatches of these coins have die variations and errors in the English inscription.

As per the gazette notification issued on February 23, 2024, the reverse of the coin bears the image of the Nalanda Pawapuri Jal Mandir at the center. Below the image of the Jal Mandir, ‘पावापुरी निर्वाण भूमि’ is inscribed. In the left periphery of the coin, the inscription ‘भगवान महावीर 2550वाँ निर्वाण कल्याणक’ is written in Devanagari script, and the inscription ‘Bhagwan Mahaveer 2550th Nirvan Kalyanak’ is depicted on the right periphery of the coin. The year “2023” is inscribed on the bottom periphery of the coin.

However, some coins feature errors in the English inscription, displaying 'Bhagwan Mahavira' instead of 'Bhagwan Mahaveer', as well as a larger gap between the inscriptions ‘पावापुरी निर्वाण भूमि’, the 'H' mintmark, and the year '2023'.

It has also been observed that some coins feature the 'II' mintmark instead of the 'H'. While such occurrences can happen with circulation coins due to die wear over time, proof coins are expected to maintain precise detailing and should not exhibit such inconsistencies.

Please note that the 'H' mintmark on the coin indicates it is a Proof coin struck at the Hyderabad Mint. For further details, refer to information on mintmarks on coins of the Republic of India.

The mint has also exhibited negligence, with the folder packaging featuring Gautam Buddha instead of Bhagwan Mahaveer on the front cover.

It remains to be seen how many coins have been issued with these types of errors. This isn't the first occurrence; there have been numerous instances in the past where errors or die variations have occurred during the minting process. Although collectors love to collect coin errors, these issues appear to reflect a lapse in the quality checks at the India Government Mint.