New Definitive Issue: 2019: New series of circulation coins

[kansal888]

Dear Friends

In 2016, National Association for the Blind (NAB) filed a writ petition in the Mumbai High Court against RBI and GoI stating that our coins and bank notes do not have enough tactile features to be easily identified by visually impaired.

In 2017, All India Confideration of the Blinds filed a similar writ petition in Delhi High Court.

In response to these petitions, Govt came up with the idea of serrations in quadrants so that blinds can identify the coins by touch.

Govt has called a meeting on 16 Jan 2019 with the representatives of the Blinds to show them the proto type coins of new series.

Govt has shortlisted 3-4 new designs. As discussed in my earlier post, the new designs may have deep serrations in 1/2/3/4 quadrants.

However no change is expected in weight, size, thickness or metal composition of the blanks.

Regards
Sanjay Kansal

[kansal888]

We know they are working on a new coin series (which can also be seen in the document linked to by Navaneeth), that information was not yet on the forum. Now it is.

Dear Eurocoin

My good friend Pabitra Saha started a thread about the new coinage series sometime in mid 2018. At that time he wrote that the new series may be issued by end of 2018.

I request the moderator to please merge the two threads.

http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,42912.0.html

Regards
Sanjay Kansal

[Pabitra]

I think GoI is considering making serration marks on rims of coins as follows:

Re 1 coin: Circular with serrations in one quadrant
Rs 2 coin: Circular with serrations in two quadrants
Rs 5 coin: Circular with serrations in three quadrants
Rs 10 coin: Circular with serrations in four quadrants
Rs 20 coin: Multi sided Non circular

The above is intended to allow easy identification by visually impaired.

Regards
Sanjay Kansal

When you indicate one quadrant, I hope it will be fixed in relation to the design. I am not very sure if the alignment could be maintained if one notes the number of die rotation errors which are available in the Indian markets.

[kansal888]

When you indicate one quadrant, I hope it will be fixed in relation to the design. I am not very sure if the alignment could be maintained if one notes the number of die rotation errors which are available in the Indian markets.

Yes it is technically possible to fix the quadrant in which serrations are to be present.

However knowing the working of Indian mints, we may see a new series of errors - various combo of die rotation + serration rotation  

[dheer]

When you indicate one quadrant, I hope it will be fixed in relation to the design. I am not very sure if the alignment could be maintained if one notes the number of die rotation errors which are available in the Indian markets.

I am not sure if die rotation will have any impact. The coin held with 4 fingers... One can sense how many fingers have serrations... At least that is the way I am thinking.

There could be wrong collar die and a one rupee can have more serrations.... So yes some error is possible but not much. I only saw in the current series a one rupee having serrations like 5 ... Weak imprint as steel vs nickel

[Pabitra]

I am not sure if die rotation will have any impact. The coin held with 4 fingers... One can sense how many fingers have serrations... At least that is the way I am thinking.

There could be wrong collar die and a one rupee can have more serrations.... So yes some error is possible but not much. I only saw in the current series a one rupee having serrations like 5 ... Weak imprint as steel vs nickel

Die rotation does not have any impact on any type of coin but is important factor for error collectors.
Same will be for serrations.

Earlier too, the security edge and Reeded edge used to be important factor for visual checking. So used to be shape and size. Over a period of time, all coins tend to be round in general.
The size differentiation lost its meaning when new coins took size of older coins of lower denomination.

Recently Sri Lanka introduced its new series of circulation coins with different edges.
One of the coins, designed and minted by Kremnica mint, is the shape called " Spanish flower".
( so name since it was used in 50 Peseta of Pre Euro Spanish circulation coins for the first time)
It is used 20 (Euro) cents and Kremnica ( Slovakia) mint mints that shape regularly.
The indentation is less than what has been generally accepted in Sri Lanka for tactile identification.

I am yet to know if redesign is in the offing.

If my assessment is correct about indian minting process then I have reasons to believe that edges are ( other than plain ) by one or two step ( for security edge) process before the blanks are sent for striking. That is the reason why some 5 Rupee blanks are sold with Reeded edge.

The collar die is used where lettered edge is to be made.

Non use of collar die results in A or B type edge variations in 2 Euro coins.
It has also happened in Belgium 2 Euro coins have edge of Netherlands since the blanks were supplied by Utrecht mint to Brussels mint with letter edge already made and no collar die was used by Brussels mint.

[repindia]

Very exciting news. There was a news item on this with a letter dated 11th Jan citing the new series to be designed before the hearing of the case on 21st Jan, so @eurocoins might very well be correct in stating this.

On another note, with the kind of error coins the mints have been churning out, I pity the blind who might get very confused (if they were not confused before). In dark difficult to differentiate between the old Re 1 and new Rs 2 coins.

We can relate doing away of the Re 1 coin with the elimination of the 1 cent coinage in Canada and efforts to eliminate the cent in the USA and other countries. The cent does not buy anything but it is still minted for political reasons. There also seems to be a general support amongst the public to keep it. It looks similar and the Re 1 coin might just stay. I like the idea of the Rs 3 coin if they do away with the Re 1 coin too. It would be interesting to see how and why such odd denominations were introduced the world over. @Figleaf might have good knowledge and hope he starts a thread about the same.

[kansal888]

This letter requests the Senior Advocate of the petitioner to attend a meeting to finalize the prototypes of the new series of the coin.

The intention is to finalize the new coins before the next date of hearing on 21 Jan 2019.

Three four different designs are under consideration. Even if the representatives of the Blinds accept one of the designs today, Ministry of Finance will have to take approvals of the Competent Authority.

Knowing how the GoI departments work, I will be surprised if a public announcement is made today regarding the new designs.

[kansal888]

Dear friends

I saw the experimental coins of rs 20 somewhere. Three designs were really beautiful.

Regards

Sanjay Kansal

Dear friends

I got the opportunity to see these designs before I moved to Middle East in August 2018. I posted about this on another thread.

Three designs were really beautiful. I hope one of the three designs get selected.

Other three designs were not so good. I hope they don't get selected.

Regards
Sanjay Kansal

[quaziright]

has there been an update to this? I imagine it's already passed the working day in India

[Pabitra]

No announcement of any type on the subject.

The designs are yet to be finalised.
Possibly, the themes are based on populist measures by the present party in power and since a recently added populist measure is expected to be more powerful ( recent measures stay in memory more strongly in minds of voters in election year), it may get included at cost of some earlier policy initiatives.

[eurocoin]

There may be no announcement today, but the discussion indicate it's on the cards.

The information can be verified based on the letter of the Ministry of Finance of India referred to by Navaneeth. Although there doesn't appear to have been an official statement which was expected* to happen after the meeting on Wednesday, my message on topic.   

*Forum members will find the meaning of this word in a dictionary.

[dheer]

Requesting all members to refrain from personal comments. We all get information from some other individuals. At times they are 100% correct at times partially.

[Navaneeth]

Requesting all members to refrain from personal comments. We all get information from some other individuals. At times they are 100% correct at times partially.

I agree with dheer.

[quaziright]

There may be no announcement today, but the discussion indicate it's on the cards.

The information can be verified based on the letter of the Ministry of Finance of India referred to by Navaneeth. Although there doesn't appear to have been an official statement which was expected* to happen after the meeting on Wednesday, my message on topic.   

*Forum members will find the meaning of this word in a dictionary.

Well, by saying "expected", that's simply a lazy ploy to cover your bases, so that you'd be right whether there was an announcement or not (as you are doing now). As far as "enhanced value" is concerned, you didn't really contribute anything. Pabitra had already talked about a 20 rupee coin, Navaneeth had provided an actual source and Kansal888 provided the most interesting information on serrated edges and a non-circular 20rupee coin.

That said, you do provide good information elsewhere, just not in this case. There's no shame in that. Atleast you enlivened this thread