These pages show the different types of circulating coins produced for use in the British colony of India, and the subsequent independent republic of India. My target audience is not so much the serious numismatist, but more the novice and casual collector. Coins can be collected in various manners: coins for circulation versus coins for collectors, individual coins versus sets or rolls, circulated coins versus mint state, every date and mint mark versus major types. This Web site presents information to help with assembling a "type" collection of individual circulated India coins. What is "type" collecting? Type collecting is assembling coins of different designs. A type set generally excludes minor variations that include the same basic design. Examples are date change, and mint marks. Major variations in coin composition (such as a switch from 75% silver to copper-nickel) constitute a type change, but a minor variation (such as a change in number of beads at the rim) do not represent a type change. Different collectors will have their own opinions of what coins should be included in a type collection. The following is my interpretation of significant year-to-year changes in India circulating coins. The monetary system of India proceeded as follows: 1835-1947 3 Pies = 1 Pice 4 Pice = 1 Anna 16 Annas = 1 Rupee 15 Rupees = 1 Mohur 1950-1957 4 Pice = 1 Anna 16 Annas = 1 Rupee 1957-1963 100 Naye Paise = 1 Rupee 1964- 100 Paise = 1 Rupee 1/2 pice Starting with 1862 1 pice Starting with 1943 1/12 anna Starting with 1862-1876 1/4 anna Starting with 1862-1876 1/2 anna Starting with 1862-1876 1 anna Starting with 1906-1910 2 annas Starting with 1862-1876 4 annas Starting with 1919-1921 8 annas Starting with 1919-1920 1/4 rupee Starting with 1862-1876 1/2 rupee Starting with 1862-1876 1 rupee Starting with 1862-1876 2 rupees Starting with 1982 5 rupees Starting with 1870 10 rupees Starting with 1870 15 rupees Starting with 1918 1 mohur Starting with 1862-1875 1 paisa Starting with 1957-1962 2 paise Starting with 1957-1963 3 paise Starting with 1964-1971 5 paise Starting with 1957-1963 10 paise Starting with 1957-1963 20 paise Starting with 1968-1971 25 paise Starting with 1957-1960 50 paise Starting with 1960-1963 References: - 1994 Standard Catalog of World Coins, by Chester L. Krause and Clifford Mishler, 1993. - 2008 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000 35th edition, by Colin Bruce, 2007. - 2008 Standard Catalog of World Coins 2001-date 2nd edition, by Colin Bruce, 2007.

Other web pages of interest: Coins on Stamps: India United Kingdom Coins: Type Collecting Canadian Coins: Type Collecting Australia Coins: Type Collecting United States Coins: Type Collecting This Day in History