Information about Metals used, Mints and Edges

COMPOSITION OF METALS USED IN INDIAN COINS

(i) Gold (1835-1918) 91.7% or 22 Carat.

(ii) Standard Silver (1835-1939) 91.7%SiLver+8.3% Copper.

(iii) Silver Alloy (1939-1945) 50%Silver+ 40%Copper+ 5%Nickel+ 5%Zinc.

(iv) Silver Alloy (1969-71) 80%Silver+ 15%Copper+ 5%Nickel.

(v) Silver Alloy (1972-2002) 50%Silver+40% Copper+ 5%Nickel+5%Zinc.

(vi) Copper (1835-1906) Pure Copper.

(vii) Bronze (1906-64) 95-97% Copper+ 4%-21/2%Tin+1.00%;0.50%Zinc.

(viii) Copper-Nickel (1906-2002) 75%Copper+ 25%Nickel.

(ix) Nickel Brass (1964-71) 79%Copper+ 20%Zinc+ 1%Nickel.

(x) Nickel (1946-1974) Pure Nickel.

(xi) Aluminum (1965-93) 96%Aluminium+4% Magnesium.

(xii) Aluminum Bronze (1969-71) 92% Copper+ 2%Nickel+6%Aluminium.

(xiii) Stainless Steel (1988-2002) Ferritic Stainless Steel (Iron 83%,Chromium17%)

How do you know which Side is the Obverse of a Foreign Coin?

When coins used to be struck by hand, the side of the coin that was on the anvil die was always the obverse. The side that took the hammer strike was the reverse. Nowadays, with machine struck coins, there is no longer an "anvil die" at all. So which side is which? This checklist will help you determine the obverse and reverse of less familiar coins.

(1) The obverse has the portrait. If neither side has portraits, try to apply condition 2.

(2) The obverse side is different. In other words, the obverse side doesn't have the "common type". A good example of this is the Euro coin, which doesn't have a portrait. However, each country has its own design on one side, with a design common to all countries on the other side. The coins are said to share the same "reverse," more or less by mutual assent among collectors.

This rule would also apply to coins of East India Company or any other country that has, say, a coat of arms (or some other common device) on its coinage (but no portrait.) If the common device appears on multiple denominations, the side without that device is the obverse.

(3) The side that bears the name of the country is usually considered the obverse in cases where the coin meets neither 1 nor 2 above.

(4) Look at a proof set. If you have access to a special mint-issued set, such as a proof set, you can determine which side the mint considers to be the obverse because this side will be face up in the proof coin holder.

(5) Look it up in the "Standard Catalog of World Coins".

3. EDGES : There are four types of edges of coins.

(a) Reeded Edge (Milled Edge, with cross serrations on Rim).

(b) Plain edge (No mark on Rim).

(c) Security Edge (with a deep Indentation on the Rim as if in Two parts).

(d) Oblique Edge (with serration at an Angle of 30°-45° to the Rim). During the period 1835-1947, coins with first three types of edges have been issued.

4. ESTABLISHMENT OF MINTS IN INDIA : EAST INDIA COMPANY set up the following three mints in the seventeenth and eighteenth century:-

(a) MADRAS MINT in 1640 A.D.

(b) BOMBAY MINT in 1671 A.D.

(c) CALCUTTA MINT in 1759 A.D.

These mints were again reset up as bigger one and with the latest technology, at Bombay & Calcutta in 1829 A.D. However Madras Mint was closed in1869.
(i) Before1947, i.e. pre-partition of India. There were four mints, namely at Bombay, Calcutta, Lahore and Madras.

(ii) After 1947, i.e. Post partition of India. There are four mints, namely Bombay, Calcutta, Hyderabad and Noida.

There are four mints in India each with a long & distinguished history that produce coins which serve our everyday needs, The two oldest are Alipore (Calcutta)and Bombay mints, both were Established in 1829 by the British Government, though the former was originally located in Calcutta and moved to its present site in 1952. The Hyderabad mint was established in 1903 by the Government of the erstwhile Nizam of Hyderabad and was taken over by the Government of India in 1950 & started minting since 1953. Noida mint was set up in 1986 and started minting ferritic stainless steel coins from 1988.

5. MINT MARKS ON COINS . Indian coins since 1835-2007 have the following Mint Marks which are found under the date (year of issue) of the coin. Indian coins bear the distinctive marks of these mints but some coins were minted abroad and imported in 1857-58, 1943, 1985, 1997-2002 and these bear the mint marks of their origin. These coins are imported with the approval of Reserve Bank of India.

Indian Mint Marks on Coins

(a) BOMBAY MINT (Mumbai)-The Bombay Mint has a small dot or diamond mint markunder Date of the Coin.

(b) CALCUTTA MINT (Kolkata)-The Calcutta Mint has No Mint Markbeneath the date of coin or an C incuseis seen at 6'o clock position in british india coins.

(c) HYDERABAD MINT-The Hyderabad Mint has split diamond or a dot in diamond or five pointed STARUnder the date of coin.

(d) LAHORE MINT- The Lahore Mint has a letter "L"mint mark under the date of the coin.Production started on 5th October 1943 A.D.

(e) NOIDA MINT- The Noida Mint has a small or thick dotunder the date of the Coin. Production Started in 1988.

Foreign Mint Marks on Indian Coins

(a) PRETORIA MINT - The Pretoria Mint has diamond markunder the date 1943.

(b) SEOUL MINT-The Seoul mint has a “Five Pointed Star"under the date of the coin but exactly below the first or Last Digits of dates 1985 and 1997.

(c) ROYAL MINT LONDON -The Birmingham Mint has a small dotunder the date of the coin but exactly below the First Digit of Date 1985.

(d) HEATON PRESS MINT-This Mint has Ornamental/ Decorated Letter "H"under the last digit of the date 1985.

(e) ROYAL CANADIAN MINT, OTTAWA-This Ottawa Mint has a "C"mint mark under the date of the coin. (f) MEXICO MINT-The Mexico City Mint has an " M "mint mark under the date of the coin.


TECHNIQUE OF MINTING COINS : There are four methods of Minting Coins:-

(a) Punch Marked

(b) Casting

(c) Repousse

(d) Die-Struck (Milled)

Since nineteenth century, the die-struck milled method is being followed in every country. Machine minted coins have better finish, the labour cost is much reduced and output is manifold. In 1790, the above machines were brought from England, and manufacturing of Milled Coins started at Calcutta.