Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a Commemorative Coin of Rs 350 to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the ten preachers of the Sikh religion.

He further added that the Commemorative Coin is a small effort on our part to show our respect and reverence to him.

On January 5, 2017, he released commemorative postage during the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh.

What are commemorative coins?

  • These coins are issued on a particular event
  • They have a distinct design with reference to the occasion
  • These can also be based on themes, highlighting ancient monuments or sites, historical personalities, endangered species etc
  • It is generally said that these coins are for a premium and will be up for purchase directly from the RBI.

List of commemorative coins issued by PM Modi

  • Rs 100 and Rs 5 coins were issued to honour iconic Indian actor and politician Late MG Ramachandran
  • Rs 100 and Rs 10 coins were issued in the honour of Carnatic singer MS Subbalakshmi.

The legacy of commemorative coins in Indian history

1. The first commemorative coin was issued in 1964 in the honour of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

2. In 1969, the Indian government celebrated the birth centenary of Mahatma Gandhi.

3. In 1973, the government issued a coin with a theme ‘ Grow More Food’.

4. In the subsequent year, they issued a coin with a theme ‘Planned Family’.

5. Later coins with themes like ‘Food and Work For All’ and ‘Save for Development’ came into existence.

6. In 1978, ‘Food and Shelter for All’ coins were introduced.

7. In 1985, the commemorative coins were released in remembrance of Indira Gandhi.

8. In 1992, coins were issued in honour of Rajiv Gandhi.

9. In 2011, that celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.

10. Also, the government of India had previously celebrated the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shyamaprasad Mukherjee, Jayprakash Narayan.

11. Moreover, some coins have also honoured institutions like the State Bank of India, RBI, Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Comptroller and Auditor General of India etc.

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Source: Indiatoday