Govt announces Rs 20 coin; new one, two, five and ten rupees coins also in pipeline

Almost 10 years after the issue of the Rs 10 coin, the Centre today announced a new coin of Rs 20 denomination which will come in 12-edged polygon (dodecagon) shape. The government is also planning to release new coins of Re 1, Rs 2, Rs 5 and Rs 10. However, the govt has not announced the exact date for the issuance of these new series coins.

The Finance Ministry, through a notification, said that the new Rs 20 coin will be made in copper, zinc and nickel. It will be 27mm (millimeters) and weigh 8.54 grams.

The Lion Capitol symbol of Ashoka Pillar with the legend "Satyamev Jayate" below it will be inscribed on its front side. The words "Bharat" in Hindi and "INDIA" in English will be there on the right and left hand side of the symbol respectively.


On the reverse side, the coin will bear denominational value "20". Besides, it will have the rupee symbol above the denominational value, flanked by design of grains depicting the agricultural dominance of the country. At the bottom of the reverse side, Twenty Rupees in Hindi and English will be written.

Unlike Rs 10 coin, the new Rs 20 coin won't have any design on its edges.

According to the notification the new Rs 10 coin will have a outside diameter of 27 mm and weigh 7.74 gm, while the Rs 5 coin will have a diameter of 25 mm and weight of 6.74 gms.

The new series one rupee and two rupees coin will weigh 3.09 gm and 4.07 gm, while the diameter would be 20 mm and 23 mm respectively.

The face of all these coins shall bear the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar with the 'Satyameva Jayate' inscribed below, flanked on the left periphery with the word 'Bharat' in Hindi and on the right periphery with the word 'India" in English.

As per Coinage Act, 1906, the Government of India has the sole right to mint coins and the responsibility for coinage vests with the Government. The designing and minting of coins in various denominations is also the responsibility of the Government.

Coins are minted at the four India Government Mints at Mumbai, Alipore (Kolkata), Saifabad (Hyderabad), Cherlapally (Hyderabad) and Noida (UP).

The coins are issued for circulation only through the Reserve Bank in terms of the RBI Act.

With PTI Inputs