How the British Raj was forced to withdraw the ‘pig rupee’
The Hindu
Numismatist recounts the saga of a coin which was withdrawn from circulation after a public furore
A one-rupee coin issued by the erstwhile British Raj over a century ago was met with much ridicule in the country as the design of an elephant on the King’s robes resembled a pig, recollects a well-known numismatist in the city.
“The people of India declined to honour a ₹1 silver coin with a bust of King George V, issued by the erstwhile British Raj in 1911, as they felt that the feet and short tail of the elephant figure resembled a pig, which is considered unclean by Indians. Of the 9 crore coins that were minted, only 7 lakh were issued and the government was forced to withdraw them from circulation,” says G.K. Subrahmanyam, a retired lecturer of Dr. V.S. Krishna Government College and an avid numismatist.