THE COIN Dear friends,
Yesterday I was to one of thelargest private bank and cashier looked at me with a smile. I told him I havegone there to have some good 10 rupee currency. He said he can give a few 10rupee coins from the one or two bags received. He added- You were asking 20rupee coin recently issued from reserve bank. I can give a few. As if a greatfavour received, I thanked him. He gave 20 one rupee coins and 10 twenty rupeecoins. He continued – any deposit? I went to their ATM by the sideof bank and drew five Thousand rupees from another bank and deposited to pleasehim. The 10 numbers twenty rupee coins received were like a treasure received for me. With a pleasing face I showed hermy gain. Seeing only ten, probably she would have felt I would not share a fewto her. So she finished with a comment after scrutinising the coin- When youget a few more give to me a few to compliment to her brothers. It was a month back. I wastravelling in my customary travels vehicle. In between talks the driver startedthe topic of twenty rupee coins. He slowed the vehicle and stopped to show metwo twenty rupee coins he was having. It was the first time I was seeing Twentyrupee coin. He started the vehicle with the story of how he got it. One day hewas in a trip with a bank manager. He complimented him the two coins withinstruction keep safe. I enquired with banks where Icould expect such an item. In vain- Everywhere the cashier was asking- Is itreleased for circulation? >From that time onwards I was indesire to get a few coins. It was same when >reserve bank released 500 rupees,200 rupees and new violet colour 100 rupee >currency and 20 rupee currency. Irecollect when 500 rupee currency was issued, >the banks used to give onwithdrawal just one five hundred rupee and remaining >either 2000 rupees andalmost torn out 100 rupee currency. I am not sure whether the coin isfreely available in circulation in Mumbai. I found a posting where a vegetablevendor giving to a house hold lady as change one- twenty rupee coin in afortnight back. I am not sure whether the coin isavailable already in other states. I amcontinuing with a few more incidents coming to my recollection and some informationabout coins. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan 10-3-2021 1. Story of 5 rupee coin. A bigger size five rupee coin wasissued during 1983’s. It is to the size of an old velli roopa (silver coin) ofKerala. During the time of my son’supananayanam one bank manager close to me at Krishnagiri complimented with 5numbers of such coin. While accounting compliments it was seen and I shared twowith my co brother. 1a. Lemon juice incident It is an ever laughing incidentfor me when my co brother narrated his losing the coins for paying for twolemon juice. If repetitionKindly skip. He was preciously keeping them ina purse side. One day while returning after a journey my sister in law desired tohave lemon juice. He was having only hundred rupee currencies. Knowing well,the petty shop man will not give back 95-00 rupees, though not required, heordered one for him too. He opened the purse and for hismisfortune the two 5rupee coins fell on the ground. The glittering coins attracted the vendor. The vendor said no change anddesired two 5 rupee coins fallen down for payment. Totally vexed, he forgot the idea of evenpurchasing something more and asked to get back the balance. He lost them. 2. Bus conductor giving me a bigger 5 rupee coin. In Trivandrum city bus I wasfamiliar to a conductor wearing a slightly high power glass. He would simplyissue ticket on familiarity and will stop the bus on reaching my residence.Still I do not know his name. I used to recollect and pay the fare any time, heis free. One day he gave me a bigger size fiverupee coin telling – Sir you have it. With a smiling face I received it andthanked him. When my co brother narrated his missing of coin, I thought I gave himagain two replenishing the loss. I keepthe coin given by the conductor with me. Still he keeps the coin withoutmissing for another lemon juice. The coin is so attractive; everybody would liketo have it. I have not seen such bigger coin in circulation. 3. Pigmy bank Many banks had introduced thesystem of Pigmy bank earlier. Children/We can drop coins in a box supplied fromthe bank and a collection man would comeonce a week and collect the money and credit to the pigmy account. This was forpopularising the savings thinking. Now I do not think any bank having suchsystem. 4. Undiyal Temple undiyals receive coins aswell as notes. Regular goers offer coins more than rupee notes. Every day frommy table two numbers two rupee coins or one 5 rupee coin would be taken to nearbytemple by my wife for undiyal offering. Whenever there is Sami oorvalam, (Deitytaken along streets encircling the temple) the amount may increase to rupee 50. Even in sabarimalai the kanikkaput in irumudi is a five rupee coin. This is offered in the hundi beforesannidhi. It has no relation with bundles of rupee notes offered by devotees. 5 Five rupee currency We have a Lakshmi Kubera templeabout 20 KM away from my home at Chennai. Since Kubera colour is green, alongwith archana items the temple gives one five rupee currency on specialoccasions. The currencymay be old or about to tear. It is kept very carefully in cash box. NorthIndians who worship in the temple are much more than south Indians. 6. Changes in hotels The restaurants get coins to giveback for payments balance from some regular suppliers. They collect excesschange available from many sources like way side sales men, share autos etc.They are given to restaurants at a premium- On account of this therestaurants keep change, give balance to us. But they would not give changes toany other than those have refreshments in the hotel. 7. Tender exact amount Though the buses and railwaystations the boards are displayed- tender exact amount, if everybody give exactamount with changes, they would have more coins and changes. On account of this especially inbuses, many conductors give balance as coins when their shift is getting overeven without our asking. Though the general condition isthis, for the personwho carry change- they will again give change. For the person givinghigher value notes, mostly they will ask for changes showing their cash baghaving no coins. The day I carefully carry change,I will be dumped with coins. The day I forget to get coins, I will be demandedto give!! 8. Coin chute. I have seen coin chute installedin Chennai Railway station by a nationalised bank. For platform ticket Rs 3-00is required. If we insert one ten rupee note- we will get 5 two rupee coins or2 numbers 5 rupee coin or one number 5 rupee coin and remaining as one rupeecoins as per availability. There used to be an assistant to help. Update- No such system now. Normally banks too give balance in currency.Very rare they give coins. 9. Coin collection I was having the hobby ofcollecting different types of coins. But many types of changes startedappearing, I have limited to attractive coins now. Coins are a divinity. Just place a kubera idol facing North in bed room almirah or anyconvenient place. Not Pooja room. Keep coinsin the container along with the idol. Moneywith the person. Would atleast be in the same level if not increased? It wasthe advice of a north Indian friend to me. I follow it. 10. Navarathri and coins Navarathri is the period morecoins are in circulation. After attending kolu they receive coins- surely someof them special. Update- It was three years back. My wife received one ONERUPEE CURRENCY from a Bank manger’s home. I keep it carefully. I have not seenone rupee currency in circulation in Chennai. 11. Gold coins To remind us the old panakkizhiwhich contained the gold coins of 1/8 pavan, ¼ pavan, ½ pavan and muzhupavan; now we have gold coins, 1gram, 5 gram,10 gram. 20 grams, 50 grams sold in banks, post offices in addition to shops. The gold coins have making chargein shops. In other places, it is priced a high value. Since the resale value is high, there aregold investors more now. Many think ornaments can be madeat the time of requirement on that day’s fashion. Gold coin depositors mostlydeposit surplus cash in them keeping hot cash for emergency and cash indeposits. Update- Now banks have stopped issuing coins. Instead banksare issuing GOLD BONDS. 12 Thatha with deposit I have heard of a Thatha who wasalways in the vigil of his walking stick in our place. Later only I couldunderstand it contained a few gold coins in the handle area. 13. Some coin information I gathered from Reserve bank website aboutcoins Indiabrought out its distinctive coins on 15th August, 1950. Coins can beissued up to the denomination of Rs.1000 as per the Coinage Act, 1906. The Reserve Bank offices locatedat Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi (Mint linked Offices) initiallyreceive the coins from the mints. These offices then send them to the otheroffices of the Reserve Bank. It was in September, 1955 thatthe Indian Coinage Act was amended for the country to adopt a metric system forcoinage. The Act came into force with effect from 1st April, 1957. 14. with drawing of coins from circulation. Probably since it is recent-about three months back, the 25 paisa coins were withdrawn from circulation iswell in my remembrance and it had been notified through newspapers. Even in 1990’s 10 paisa and 20paisa used to be well in circulation. The others were withdrawn still earlierfor low value and excess production cost. It may be interesting to note theproduction cost is many times higher than face value for coins. It is for thedurability and convenience coins are preferred. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1929580603.1345444.1615386588363%40mail.yahoo.com.
