Discussion: Subjects for New Coins

[kansal888]

Friends, have you ever wondered how GOI chooses subjects for the new commemorative coins? I feel that for quite some time, GOI is selecting very boring subjects or subjects with limited appeal. I offer few suggestions:

Avoid little known personalities: I don't intend any disrespect to disciples of Narayanguru, Tukaram and Basheshwar but I heard their names for the first time after the coins were issued on them. I don't understand GOI's obsession with heads of little known religious sects. Similarly, GOI issued coins on personalities who did not commanded pan-India recognition like SP Mukherji and Veer Durgadass.   

Historical Subjects: India had a very rich culture since the ancient times of Indus valley civilization and there is no paucity of interesting topics and great personalities. However, GOI is fascinated by the only the last 200 years of our history. If you go through the list of coins issued by GOI, it hardly goes beyond 'centenary' or '150 years' of leaders born in last 200 years. Why can't they issue coins on historical figures like Ashoka, Akbar, Kabir, Bhaskar, Panini and Aryabhatta?

Nobel Laureates: I am surprised that GOI has not deemed it fit to honour our Nobel laureates like Mother Teresa and Rabindranath Tagore who had a universal appeal and were known throughout the world for their exemplary work. 

Contemporary Personalities: GOI should look beyond the centenaries of political figures and freedom fighters. They should issue coins on CV Raman, Ramanujam, Premchand, Vikram Sarabhai

[MS]

Very interesting points

The problem on one hand is that decision making at that level is all very political. And its not just for coins. Consider the Govt of Maharashtra announcing the construction of a statue of Shivaji, at a cost of 700 crores, a few months before the assembly elections after having been in power for nearly 10 years. For the record I am neither against Shivaji or statues but simply citing an example.

GOI issued coins on personalities who did not commanded pan-India recognition like SP Mukherji

Re: SP Mukjerji - The coin issue if I am not mistaken was made when the BJP was in power. Syama Prasad Mookerjee is considered the grand daddy of Hindutva and Hindu Nationalism. The fact that I know of this (and millions of others I am sure) after the coin was issued is a good reason for right wing parties to release a coin in his name. It is seen as a recognition for a man that originally spearheaded the movement.

Here is another example that should be interesting. A coin for Annadurai is being issued. His influence spread across to all Tamils but outside Tamil Nadu in the rest of India, the new generations would know hardly anything about him. He was at the forefront of the Dravidian movement and it had such an impact that no non-Dravidian party has ever won since then - 40 years - in Tamil Nadu. Earlier in his career along with Periyar he even wanted the Tamils to separate from India. Yet today we have a commemorative coin issued him his name by GOI.

Our country is so diverse with so many multiple identities that partly the game is to pander to all communities and groups. Ethnic, religious,  cultural, language etc. On the bright side it gives each community a sense of belonging and pride within the wider spectrum we call India.

Historical Subjects: India had a very rich culture since the ancient times of Indus valley civilization and there is no paucity of interesting topics and great personalities. However, GOI is fascinated by the only the last 200 years of our history. If you go through the list of coins issued by GOI, it hardly goes beyond ‘centenary’ or ‘150 years’ of leaders born in last 200 years. Why can’t they issue coins on historical figures like Ashoka, Akbar, Kabir, Bhaskar, Panini and Aryabhatta?

I totally agree with this sentiment. Some of these historical figures deserve to be part of our coinage. We did have a commemorative for 2600th Anniversary of Bhagwan Mahavir though We also have a coin on Maharana Pratap and Shivaji. The problem I guess is that there is little political mileage to be extracted out of these historical figures.

Nobel Laureates: I am surprised that GOI has not deemed it fit to honour our Nobel laureates like Mother Teresa and Rabindranath Tagore who had a universal appeal and were known throughout the world for their exemplary work.

Think they are waiting for Mother Teresa to gain Sainthood

Contemporary Personalities: GOI should look beyond the centenaries of political figures and freedom fighters. They should issue coins on CV Raman, Ramanujam, Premchand, Vikram Sarabhai 

Again no mileage. Although CV Raman for example has a few institutes and observatories named after him.

I think the common trend when it comes to figures on coins is that the government acts on a milestone. 2600 years birth, centenary celebrations death or birth, bi-centenary of Louis Braille, 75th year of the march etc. Otherwise a significant event mandates an acknowledgment or a recognition, like Sister Alponsa. Quite obviously not everyone can be represented on a coin. There are so many in our history and in our immediate past. Many of them are acknowledged in other ways like statues or Holidays like Teacher's Day and Children's Day, or a Park, Institute is named after them.

[Figleaf]

Let's organize this. Suppose India wants to issue a series of ten Indian commemorative coins next year and you are on the committee that selects the subjects. No religion, no politics, just importance to India. Jubilee not necessary.

Here are my proposals:

- The Indus, birthplace of India.
- Ashoka the Great
- Nalanda University
- Akbar the Great
- Taj Mahal
- Robert Clive and Tippu Sultan
- The first war of Independence/Sepoy mutiny
- the great famines and the agricultural revoution
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Rabindranath Tagore

What are yours (duplication with the above posts is OK)

Peter

[Bimat]

Some of the themes listed by Peter can not be easily represented well on coins because of their small size-for example,I would love to see a coin with the theme Nalanda University,but it's really difficult to show it even on a 10 Rupees coin.

Showing Akbar on coin may again create controversy.Indian politics is unpredictable and messed up.

Taj Mahal is a good idea,but again there are again some theories by some religious Hindu organizations with some controversial thoughts..

We have already shown Mahatma Gandhi on many coins and now I'm bored of these kind of coins.

The best option would be to show foreign personalities who have served for humanity,irrespective of their origin,religion and gender..We have done it only once,so it will attract more number of collectors too,from all over the world.

Aditya

[Figleaf]

I would love to see a coin with the theme Nalanda University,but it's really difficult to show it even on a 10 Rupees coin.

OK Mr. Chairman, I'll take up the challenge for the benefit of this learned committee. My idea for the design would be an ancient scroll with NALA/NDA in two lines held up by two hands, one at 11 o'clock, one at 5 o'clock.

Peter

[MS]

My 7 entries, Need to think of 3 more
- Coin for the Amar Jawan Jyoti i.e. India's Tomb of Unknown Soldier
- Rani Lakshmibai
- The First War of Independence
- A coin with words from 4 classic/ancient Indian languages Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, Telgu
- Coin depicting Peace Symbol - We did give the world Buddha and Gandhi
- India's Cricket World Cup glory of 1983
- Coin with Peacock with its full spread of feathers - our national bird.

I wonder how Ashoka will be depicted on a coin. Until 200 years back he was a forgotten king who we rediscovered. We dont know much about him and very little of how he looked.

[MS]

The best option would be to show foreign personalities who have served for humanity,irrespective of their origin,religion and gender..We have done it only once,so it will attract more number of collectors too,from all over the world.

I disagree. Collecting coins should be incidental and not the determining fact for new commemorative issues. I know mints indulge collectors with proof sets etc and profit marginally or otherwise from it but that's not their primary function anyway. It is fine for us to commemorate world personalities who have contributed much to humanity. I am not against that but I am against the idea of precluding our own landmarks, historical figures and milestones. There are people/incidents who/which have made important and significant contributions that have shaped India and made us who we are today. They must never be forgotten.

[Figleaf]

Excellent ideas. I enjoyed reading about Rani Lakshmibai!

As for Ashoka, I'd be in favor of an Ashoka pillar (another one than the one normally used on Indian coins) in the foreground, right with the great stupa at Sanchi (picture) as background.

Peter

[BC Numismatics]

I thought that the designs for Indian coins were chosen by the Reserve Bank of India,not the Government of India itself.

Aidan.

[MS]

I thought that the designs for Indian coins were chosen by the Reserve Bank of India, not the Government of India itself.

Aidan.

Aidan,

Even if that is the case, I doubt if the decision making on commemorative issues are left in the hands of bureaucrats without any influence or say from the powers that be.

I do not know the answer to your question though.

MS

[kansal888]

I feel that we can eliminate famines and Robert Clive. First war of independence and Gandhi can also be ruled out since GOI has already issued coins on them. So my list will be:

• Harappa / Indus valley civilization
• Ashoka the Great
• Akbar the Great
• Taj Mahal
• Rabindranath Tagore
• Mother Teresa
• Swami Vivekananda

For depicting the commemorative coins on Indus valley civilization, I have a suggestion. We can use the world famous Harappan Seal of Bull, which was probably the first coinage of the subcontinent

Sanjay

[mumbapuri]

premchand, dhyanchand, jagishchandra bose, vikram sarabai, savarkar, milkha singh, ganga, himalayas...

w/o getting political i just want to say one thing based on the opinions above, what may be of importance to me may not necessarily ring bells to u and vice versa... after all history is written by the victors and ones in power... if Hitler wouldn't have overambitious in soviet union who knows we might be holding trials against the brit monarchy for acts against humanity in so many places...maybe dyer would have been one of them rotting in some Indian prison,maybe curzon would have joined him...

[Bimat]

I have few more suggestions:

We are having commonwealth games in 2010 (in Delhi).Just like Canada,we can also have a series of commemorative coins showing different games.

USA has a state quarter series.Why can't we have a similar one? Every state in India has some distinguishing places-for example,India gate in Delhi,Golden Temple in Amritsar etc etc..

Aditya

[asm]

I would put it as:

* A series on Historical monuments - it would cover all major monuments listed above as well as some others which are really fantastic but not publisiced like the Gol Gombaz (Deccan), Shaking Minarets (Ahmedabad), Jantar Mantar (Jaipur / Delhi) etc.

* A series on the Major wars in the past - Panipat, 1857 uprising, Kalinga (which forced Emperor Ashoka to turn non violent).....

* A series on some of the well known kings of the past

* A series on the major achievements of Indian Scientists since ......

* A series on some of Indias greatest poets and scholars,

* A series on major events that changed the course of Indian destiny in the past

* But the most important " a series on some of the major current Indian political leaders" because without this none of the others would be possible.........

Amit

[BC Numismatics]

I have few more suggestions:

We are having commonwealth games in 2010 (in Delhi).Just like Canada,we can also have a series of commemorative coins showing different games.

USA has a state quarter series.Why can't we have a similar one? Every state in India has some distinguishing places-for example,India gate in Delhi,Golden Temple in Amritsar etc etc..

Aditya

Aditya,
  I think that the 2010 British Commonwealth Games will be commemorated on Indian coins,as it is the major event being hosted by India in that year.

Aidan.