Demand for new Rs5 & Rs10 coins issued by RBI last month has increased.
With Diwali approaching, the demand for new Rs5 and Rs10 coins issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last month has increased.
The light weight, gold plated coins, worth Rs50 lakh issued by the coins issue department of the RBI to five select banks with the chest facilities in Kutch are in great demand. The lucky ones who have a few coins are not using them for purchasing but are keeping them for puja and other ceremonies during Diwali.
"I got a few coins from my friend who gave them to me when I told I need the coins for puja during Diwali. Coins made of pure gold are out of reach because of the sky rocketing prices," said Pooja Dadlani, a school teacher.
Rohit Shah, a businessman from Gandhidham voiced the same concern. "The new Rs5 & Rs10 coins are attractive and elegant. Moreover, they are very light in weight too. The old Rs5 coins were heavier. There is immense demand for the new coins among the public says PC Shah, branch manager of the State Bank of India.
"The new coins are made of two metals, copper and zinc. The coins are more attractive with the gold plating. The Rs10 coin has a completely different and unique look with a ring of zinc. The Rs5 coin are no more in circulation,'' said Shah.
Dilip Vaidya, former music curator of the Kutch Museum says the princely state of Kutch was known for its coins.
Though 18 princely states in the pre-independence era were permitted by the British government to mint their own coins, only a few own their mint or issue their own currency. It was here only that gold coins were minted and remained in the currency.
The uniqueness of the Kutch coins were that they were fine in design and shape with accuracy besides their timely minting.
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