M.S.Subbulakshmi Commemorative Coins

[cienu]

I shall begin this post with my most favourite quote of Sarojini Naidu on my Grandmother at the launch of the Hindi “Meera” in 1947.

"I commend Subbulakshmi of the South to the people of the North. Whomsoever comes under the enchantment of this singer's great gifts, will agree with me that she is not just an interpreter of Meera, but Meera herself. Take her into your hearts, cherish her. You will be proud that India in this generation has produced so supreme an artist."

As most of you may be aware that on the completion of the Centenary Year of Bharat Ratna M.S. Subbulakshmi, the Government of India had brought out two sets of Commemorative Coins on the “Nightingale of India” in two denominations 100 INR and 10 INR thereby ensuring that this was the first occasion during which a coin had been minted by the Reserve Bank of India in honour of a Musician.

These Special Coins were released by His Excellency the Vice President of India Sri Venkaiah Naidu on September 19th, 2017 at IGNCA – New Delhi.

At that stage there were several enquiries from a multitude of friends, music lovers, numismatists and MSS aficionados requesting for a set of this precious piece of memorabilia on MSS.

Well. The wait is over!

I am happy to announce that RIVERSIDE MEDIA the principal agency responsible for assisting the curatorial design and ground Execution of the Centenary Celebration Program of Bharat Ratna MS Subbulakshmi by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts [ IGNCA ] , Ministry of Culture , Government of India, will in coordination with the RBI, be managing the process of ensuring that the commemorative coins (both 100 INR and 10 INR ) reach those who desire the same, as a special gesture and service to the memory of M.S.Subbulakshmi.

The 100 INR coin will be 44 millimetres in diameter with a metal composition of silver (50 per cent), copper (40 per cent), nickel (5 per cent) and zinc (5 per cent). On the obverse, the 100 INR coin will bear the State Emblem of India, the “Lion Capital of the Ashoka Pillar" in the centre with "Satyameva Jayate" inscribed below on it in Devanagari script. It will also bear the rupee symbol and denominational value "100". On the reverse side, the portrait of M S Subbulakshmi will be in the centre. The standard weight of the 100 INR coin will be 35 grams.

The amount for booking the commemorative coin with the Centenary Limited-Edition Catalogue on Bharat Ratna MS Subbulakshmi will be 6490 INR [ inclusive of delivery charges and GST/Tax as per applicable.]

The amount for booking of the commemorative coin by International Customers is as below
185 $ US dollar
150 € Euro
132 £ Pound
235 Aus dollar
[ inclusive of delivery charges and GST/Tax as per applicable plus Cost of insured parcel via India Post with cloth packed with unique seal]

In addition, for those who are purchasing the coins, there will be
a) Unique 62-page catalogue on MSS
b) A surprise GIFT

The entire process is well explained in a user friendly 3-page step by step instructions in the link below given by RIVERSIDE MEDIA.

http://www.riversidemedia.in/ms-subbula ... tive-coin/

Kindly go through the same carefully.

All orders received up to 15th April 2018 will be processed and executed as per time lines mentioned in the website. There will be no further extension of dates. RBI has confirmed that this will be a one time exercise.

THERE IS NO RESTRICTION ON THE NUMBER OF SETS OF COMMEMORATIVE COINS ONE CAN ORDER

For any help or clarifications you may kindly contact Mr Uzzwal Madhab at [email protected]

Please find a few pictures below.
An image of the coin on Bharat Ratna M.S.Subbulakshmi

A picture of me receiving the 1st set of coins from His Excellency Sri Venkaiah Naidu (Vice President of India) in the presence of the Union Minister for Culture Dr Mahesh Sharma and Member Secretary IGNCA Sri Sachidanand Joshi (Sep 19th 2017)

[Sundara Rajan]

The wisdom behind the so called "commemorative coin" apart, if the coin costs 6,490 Indian Rupees or 185 US Dollars ( that is equal to 12,000+ Indian Rupees), Why call it a 100 INR coin ? Are we assume that any buyer would be foolish enough to use it in place of 100 INR currency note ?!

[cienu]

Are we assume that any buyer would be foolish enough to use it in place of 100 INR currency note ?!

Commemorative Coins by the very meaning of the word is to celebrate a certain occasion. These coins will not be minted again and again.
You will be pleasantly surprised to know that there are number of persons who will treasure such collections. And ofcourse they will not use it as legal tender but on the contrary preserve the same.
The value of such coins say 50 years hence will be hard to imagine. Just as there are stamp collectors (philatelists) there are Coin collectors too (numismatists). Coin collection is probably the oldest hobby in the world

[rajeshnat]

Cienu
You have explained the details of only the 100 INR commemorative coin. What about 10 INR is that not officially out yet??

[cienu]

Cienu
You have explained the details of only the 100 INR commemorative coin. What about 10 INR is that not officially out yet??

Coins of both denominations are not out as yet.
As I have mentioned in my post, the package includes
1. a 100 INR coin
2. a 10 INR coin
3. a Unique 62 page Catalog on MSS
4. a Surprise gift for MSS fans.
Regarding the composition of the 10 INR coin, I have no idea.

[Sundara Rajan]

As I had stated above, besides the "wisdom" of the commemorative coin, Why call it a 100 INR or 10 INR coin? That is my question. Why not simply "commemorative" coin ?
Now every one is going to DEMAND such coins for Amma , Anna, MGR, PriyAr , Ambedkar,Tom, Dick and Harry,etc. ! Were any such commemorative coins issued for other Bharat Ratnas as Rajaji, Abdul Kalam, the Mahatma etc. ? If MSS is not remembered for her music, the coin is not going to help.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

...
Now every one is going to DEMAND such coins for Amma , Anna, MGR, PriyAr , Ambedkar,Tom, Dick and Harry,etc. ! Were any such commemorative coins issued for other Bharat Ratnas as Rajaji, Abdul Kalam, the Mahatma etc. ? ...

Commemorative coins have been issued to more than 50 personalities.

Jawaharlal Nehru was honoured thrice - 1964, 1989, 2014
Dr. Ambedkar twice - 1990, 2015
All others, including Mahatma Gandhi, only once.
Kamaraj - 2003
Anna - 2009
MGR - approved; to be issued.

No commemorative coin for Rajaji & Periyar !

[cienu]

As I had stated above, besides the "wisdom" of the commemorative coin, why call it a 100 INR or 10 INR coin? That is my question.

No coin is minted without a denomination. In recent history as far as I can recollect only once has it happened before when Great Britain celebrated its victory in the “Battle of Britain” and the mint issued 50 pence coins without denomination (possibly by oversight). The subsequent coins were however corrected, and the denomination boldly mentioned. The coins without denomination must now surely be a collector’s delight.

Why not simply "commemorative" coin?

That too is possible. In 2012, Tanishq, the jewellery brand launched a limited edition of gold coins engraved with the image of MSS in two, four and eight grams. A portion of the proceeds were donated towards cancer and diabetes research by the TATA group.

It is however in the fitness of things if a commemorative coin minted by the government has a value just like a postage stamp issued in honour of a celebrity has a value. Having a denomination in my opinion lends respectability to the coin though one must always keep in mind that there is a difference between face value of a coin and the intrinsic value of a coin and while in most cases while the face value is higher, the vice versa is also possible.

Now everyone is going to DEMAND such coins for Amma, Anna, MGR, PriyAr, Ambedkar, Tom, Dick and Harry, etc.!

Number of coins have been issued on various personalities. However, coins and stamps do not necessarily stir up the emotions of the masses. Only a unique niche of people who are interested will buy. From a historical perspective if the coins are preserved well and passed on from generation to generation, the value increases exponentially.

Were any such commemorative coins issued for other Bharat Ratnas as Rajaji, Abdul Kalam, the Mahatma etc.?

I have no clue, but you could google and there are lots of interesting data on the coins and in whose honour, the coins were minted. Please find below a few links. What makes this release unique is that for the first time a coin and that too off a hundred-rupee denomination (apart from the ten-rupee coin) is being minted in honour of a musician.
(Just as an afterthought, the Mahatma was not awarded the Bharat Ratna (or the Nobel). )

http://coinsofrepublicindia.blogspot.in ... coins.html
https://www.providentmetals.com/knowled ... value.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_rupee

If MSS is not remembered for her music, the coin is not going to help.

There is an implied suggestion in your above statement that the commemorative coin is not going to help in preserving the memory of Subbulakshmi, if in the long run her music itself does not invoke her memories. But that was certainly not the intention of the Government of India when it took the decision to mint the coin in her honour – vis – that at a certain stage people will remember MS by the coin rather than her music.

Much as she will be remember as a musical legend, MSS transcended to becoming a much larger than life figure. The way she lived her life with utter humility, the charity of the Sadasivam couple which helped innumerable social causes, the impact which she had on the psyche of the people of India are indeed mind blowing.

As the Kanchi Paramacharya had once observed, the music of Subbulakshmi will last as long as the Sun and the Moon exist. (Coin or no coin)

[Sundara Rajan]

MR. Bala wrote:

"Commemorative coins have been issued to more than 50 personalities.

Jawaharlal Nehru was honoured thrice - 1964, 1989, 2014
Dr. Ambedkar twice - 1990, 2015
All others, including Mahatma Gandhi, only once.
Kamaraj - 2003
Anna - 2009
MGR - approved; to be issued.

No commemorative coin for Rajaji & Periyar !"
[/quote]

WOW ! That many ?!
Having been away from India for almost six decades except for December visits, I had not kept pace with current Indian culture of "Commemorative Coins", in addition to millions of statues. I guess one more is not going to hurt. It is NOT my intention to hurt anybody's feelings.

[cienu]

I guess one more is not going to hurt. It is NOT my intention to hurt anybody's feelings.

Thank you for clarifying that "hurt" was not your intention as your posts did communicate a feeling of disdain (perhaps unintentionally). Not that it mattered much, but I thought you would consider this as a constructive feedback.

[rajeshnat]

Cienu
I think adding denomination is also adding a sentiment to buyers that you would get more money and hence people will buy it(lakshmi kataksham). Logically In one side you put the face of the artist or personality(kamaraj, nehru , msamma) . In the other side you have to embalm something may be putting a currency number is the best choice, we cannot put asokha emblem like usual INR coins then that would be a near currency.

I will pass buying MS amma's coin , in my life time i will wait where one side it is Madurai Mani and the other side it is Semmangudi

[sureshvv]

Thank you for clarifying that "hurt" was not your intention as your posts did communicate a feeling of disdain (perhaps unintentionally). Not that it mattered much, but I thought you would consider this as a constructive feedback.

Disdain when combined with ignorance can form a potent and offensive combination. Unintentionally, of course!

[Nick H]

I'm curious to know if the coins will be available in ordinary circulation?

random ramblings...

Of course, that has nothing to do with the ones that are sold, as collectors' items, in especially perfect condition, boxed sets, etc, at a premium price, and will maintain a premium value.

That is the divide between the collectors'-item coin and the money in our purses. The collectors' item is a real coin, it is spendable at its face value, but of course... no-one would! I have a feeling that, in UK, even a gold sovereign may still be legal tender. I certainly remember a time when it definitely was, in the 60's: face value one UK pound, but simple gold value (then) more than 40 times one GBP.

I'm sorry to mention the man's name on an Indian forum, but I recall the Churchill Crown (five shilling piece (25p)) and had one as a child. Crowns were still legal tender, but had not been minted in my memory: nobody would have taken that coin and spent it at face value, although, technically, they could.

A coin without monetary face value would not be a coin. Perhaps it would be called a medal, or a medallion.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

.
India Government Mint, Bombay, is accepting orders for the Proof and Uncirculated Rs.100 & Rs.10 coins sets of Dr. M.S. Subbulakshmi. The cost of the Proof coins set will be Rs.3940, and the Uncirculated coins set Rs.3122.

Please check http://igmmumbai.spmcil.com/UploadDocum ... 10035d.pdf for the Order Form.

Rs.100 coin will be 44mm dia. Quatrnary Alloy coin of 35g. with edge having 200 serrations.
Rs.10 coin will be 27mm dia. Bi-metallic coin of 7.71g. with plain edge.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

... A coin without monetary face value would not be a coin. Perhaps it would be called a medal, or a medallion.

Exception :-

The Amman Kasu (1889-1906) issued by the erstwhile Pudukottai State did not have the denomination marked on the coin. Goddess Brihadhambaal was depicted on the obverse and on the reverse ‘Vijaya’ in Telugu was mentioned.

Though it was not a legal tender, the popular exchange value was 20 Kasu for 1 Anna. Subsequently it was made a legal tender by a Government Order and the exchange rate was fixed as 12 Kasu for 1 Anna.

A rare ‘coin’ without denomination !