Discussion: Rs 5 Bhagat Singh Hyderabad Mint 5

[Naveen]

Is ther any reason behind releasing Bhagath Singh 5 Rupee SS for circulation now  ?....

I purchased few coins from Coimbatore coin exhibition but now started getting this from circulation as normal...

[dheer]

The Bhagat Singh coins were due in 2007, during the release ceremony sept 2008, there were objections that Bhagat Singh [a Sikh] was depicted using a legendary Hat rather than traditional turban ... it went on for quite sometime, later the Proof & UNC sets had major printing errors in packaging [Shaheed Sagat Singh] ...

In 2010 an MP raised a question in parliament as to why these coins are not released for general circulation, the mint said that right now they are having their hands full [10 issues in 2 years] ... subsequently the Hyderabad mint put up for sale quite a few single coin sets to encash on the popularity of collectors ... in this run, they also decided to run the Bhagat Singh coins for general circulation as well.

So the actual run for circulation  happened in March 2012 and large number of coins put into circulation.

[Naveen]

Thanks Dheer....informative thread.......

[The Oracle]

So the actual run for circulation  happened in March 2012 and large number of coins put into circulation.

r u going by packet date?  packets were made as early as dec 11  coins a few months before that

[dheer]

Oops nope I don't have any packets .... didn't knew that

[kansal888]

The Bhagat Singh coins were issued in Proof & Unc sets. They were not released for general circulation. Please note that only a minuscule % of coins constitute Proof & Unc sets.

It is a matter of collective shame that coins on legendary freedom fighter were not released for circulation to general public.

Some organizations from Punjab approached PMO. They petitioned PMO to release these coins for general public. By the time bureaucracy realized their blunder; few years had already passed.

Finally the coins were released for general public in 2012.

[kansal888]

It may not be out of place to mention that the Bhagat Singh coin was originally produced by Kolkata Mint   
The story about spare capacity of Kolkata mint is (bovine excrement).

If Kolkata was producing 5 million pieces of 4 commemorative coins (total 20 million in a year); they could easily have produced 4 million pieces of 5 coins each. Accommodating one more design within the same overall annual mintage should not have caused any problems.

I feel that they intentionally tweak the mintage of coins. Land Vital Resources & Crop Science Congress are prime examples. They tried the same with Bhagat Singh.

[nomadbird]

Thanks Dheer....informative thread.......

Do you have a 5 rupee spare with a cross?

[Patney]

Is Bhagat Singh Rs 5 Coin has been issued in Brass Metal Also?

[dheer]

No. Bhagat Singh is minted only in Steel.

There are few error coins "struck on wrong planchet" with the metal being Nickel-Brass.