SBI proof set

SBI Cover

History

Obverse

Reverse

100 rupee obverse

100 rupee reverse

SBI 5 rupee copper-nickel

History in Hindi

SBI composition

USA silver quarter dollar

Barber quarter, 1908

The barber quarter was started to be minted in 1892 along with Barber dime and Barber half dollar. Just like the Barber half dollar, it is a conditional rarity as it was heavily used and it is very expensive in higher grades. The 1909-O Barber quarter has only 12 known pieces in AU grade. The Barber design was also extremely unpopular so it was replaced by the standing liberty quarter in 1916.

Standing liberty quarter, 1928

The Standing Liberty Quarter considered to be one of the most attractive US coin designs by some numismatists, was issued from 1916 to 1930 by the United States Mint. Type One (1916-1917) featured Liberty on the obverse and an American eagle in flight with no stars below on the reverse. Liberty carries an upraised shield in her left hand and an olive branch in her right hand; most notably, this coin was the only circulating coin to feature Liberty with a bare breast.There is some controversy over who modeled for the Standing Liberty Quarter, but it was either Doris Doscher or Broadway actress, Irene MacDowell.

The following year, a Liberty, Type 2 (1917-1930) was issued with several design changes, most notably covering Liberty's chest with chain mail and the addition of three stars on the reverse under the eagle. The design was changed because of a public outcry regarding Liberty's bared breast.

This coin is also hard to find in higher grades, and the date wears out very quickly in issues before 1925. For issues after 1925, the date was lowered so that it would wear out after the coin is worn out. This is one of the most expensive coins in the US in higher grades.

USA Washington quarter dollar

Bicentennial quarter: drummer boy

This quarter was released on the bicentennial of the independence of the USA in 1976. It shows the figure of George Washington on the obverse and a drummer boy on the reverse. The drummer boy was a feature of the rebel continental army whose position was more important that what seems at first glance.

The position of a fifer or drummer was not necessarily an easy one to fill. They were expected to learn the many tunes played in the army, from popular melodies like "Roslyn Castle" to practical beats such as "Water Call" or "Roast Beef." In an eighteenth century army music was used to transmit orders and to regulate the daily routine of the soldiers. In camp the reveille and tattoo denoted the beginning and end of the soldier's day. Other calls signaled the men to assemble for meals or for detachments to gather wood and water. If the army was ordered to march the routine of the troops prior to setting off, and the accompanying music, was adjusted accordingly. While on the move music provided a cadence to regulate the rate of march, and in battle drums and fifes could transmit or supplement the commands of the officers and would hopefully bolster the morale of the soldiers to some degree.

Washington quarter dollar, 1977

The current quarter is nickel plated copper (8.33% Ni with the remainder Cu), weighs 5.670 grams , diameter 0.955 inches (24.26 mm), width 1.75 millimeters with a reeded edge.Before 1965, quarters contained 90% silver, 10% copper. The current regular quarter dollar has the image of the first president George Washington on the obverse, and and eagle on the reverse. This quarter was continued until 1999 when the state quarter program was started.

Gur-ta-gaddi proof set

ਆਗਿਆ ਭਈ ਅਕਾਲ ਕੀ ਤਬੀ ਚਲਾਇਓ ਪੰਥ ।
ਸਭ ਸਿਖਨ ਕੋ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੈ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਾਨਿਯੋ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ।
ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਜੀ ਮਾਨਿਯੋ ਪ੍ਗਟ ਗੁਰਾਂ ਕੀ ਦੇਹ ।
ਜੋ ਪ੍ਭ ਕੋ ਮਿਲਬੋ ਚਹੈ ਖੋਜ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਮੈਂ ਲੇਹ ।

Cover

Obverse

Reverse

Gur-ta-gaddi 100 rupee obverse

Gur-ta-gaddi 100 rupee reverse

The reverse shows the Harmandir Sahab,( Punjabi: ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ) meaning "Temple of God," or Golden Temple, also Darbar Sahib (Punjabi: ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ), is the holiest shrine of Sikhism.

In 1577, the fourth guru of the Sikhs Guru Ram Das ji excavated a tank which was later on expanded, and also gave name to the city that developed around it: Amritsar(meaning pool of the nectar of immortality). In due time, a splendid Sikh edifice, the Harmandir Sahab was constructed in the middle of the pool and it became the supreme sanctum of Sikhism.Its sanctum came to house the Adi Granth comprising compositions, Sikh values, philosophies and teachings of the Sikh Gurus and other saints of Guru Nanak's time, e.g. Ravidas a Hindu Guru, Baba Farid a Sufi Sant (Saint) and Kabir, all of whom the Sikhs refer to as the Bhagats. The compilation of the Adi Granth was started by the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Arjan Dev.

The Golden Temple has been attacked and destroyed a number of times by various forces over the centuries, including attacks by the Mughals and the Afghan invader Ahmad Shah Abdali who went to the point of blowing up the temple with gunpowder and filling the sarovar (sacred pool) with the carcasses of slaughtered cows and people; but each time the attackers got destroyed and the temple was revived like a phoenix.

Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded the Indus valley and India a total of eight times(1747-1764). His fear was such that the Mughals had to recognize his suzerainty over Kashmir and Punjab and could do nothing from putting up a puppet ruler on the Mughal throne. Even the united Marathas under Sadashiv Bhau, perhaps the strongest force in India at that time, were defeated decisively in the third battle of Panipat(perhaps India's equivalent of Waterloo, given that Pani means water), which was fought over a twelve kilometer battlefront. Abdali had the largest Islamic empire in the world at that time. It was in such a time that the Sikhs rebelled a number of times against Abdali, and finally the Afghan forces under Abdali's general Jahan Khan were ANNIHILATED by the Sikh army under Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. Abdali died in 1773 from a cancerous wound he got in 1764, which is said to have been caused by a flying brick when he was going about demolishing the Golden temple.

Any mention of battle with Jahan Khan and the Afghans will not be complete without the name of Shaheed (martyr) Baba Deep Singh ji (1682-1757) , whose valor in battle is unprecedented and still unsurpassed. On hearing that the Afghans had defiled the temple and Amritsar, even in his age of 76 he picked up his 15Kg Khanda(two edged sword) and took a pledge to drive the Afghans out of Amritsar and teach them a fitting lesson. Baba Deep Singh ji gathered a total of above 5000 Sikh soldiers and then drew a line in the sand with his khanda, and asked only those who were willing to fight and die to cross the line.

All the assembled Sikhs crossed the line eagerly. Then he recited the shabad:

ਜਓ ਤਓ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਖੇਲਨ ਕਾ ਚਾਓ, ਸਿਰ ਧਰ ਤਲੀ ਗਲੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਆਓ ||
ਇਤ ਮਾਰਗ ਪੈਰ ਧਰੀਜੈ, ਸਿਰ ਦੀਜੈ ਕਾਨ ਨਾ ਕੀਜੈ ||
"jao tao prem khelan ka chao, sir dhar tali gali meri ao ||

it maarag pair dhareejai, sir deejai kan na keejai ||"

(meaning : Those who wish to play the game of love (to follow the Sikh path), come to me with your head in your palm. If you wish your feet to travel this path, don't delay in accepting to give your head.)

A fierce battle was fought between the Sikh and Afghan forces, and Babaji's head was cut off in a duel when he was still far from the temple. When some nearby Sikh reminded him of his pledge, the miracle which then manifested has no precedent or occurred ever after. Babaji supported his head with his left hand and with his right, he swung his khanda with such ferocity and skill that to flee was the best course of action that the opposing forces could take. The very sight of such a spectacle was enough to rend the hearts of the Afghans with fear. Then fighting along the way, he reached Amritsar where he offered his head and breathed his last.

In the last century one of the most tragic events, in the Operation Bluestar in June 1984, the Indian army mounted an attack which caused severe damage to the Akal Takhat and the whole complex. A bullets or a piece of shrapnel hit and killed one Sewadar inside the temple itself). Even the SGGS(sri guru granth sahab) being read by a Granthi was pierced by a bullet. The beautiful marble slabs that cover the Parikarma (the promenade that surrounds the Sarovar) were cut deeply, some even broken as the Indian army called in heavy tanks whose tracks cut deeply into the marble. Besides being damaged by the tanks, the blood of the attackers, the occupiers and unknown numbers of innocent pilgrims flowed from the bodies that covered the walkway, staining the marble and filling the mortar between each slab. As of now, the shrine is in its utmost glory and is adorned with gold.

Below the picture of the Golden temple, the inscription reads: "Bani Guru Guru hai Bani", which means that the hymns written in the Guru Granth Sahab ji have to be regarded as the Guru (or teacher).

Mumbai mint mark

The mark 'M' below the date shows that this is a proof coin struck in the Mumbai mint.

Gur-ta-gaddi 10 rupee bimetal

This set was released on the occasion of 300 years of gur ta gaddi, or the consecration of Guru Granth Sahab, the holy book of the Sikhs, as the last Sikh guru. This happened at Nanded in Maharshatra with the parlok gaman(or death) of the last Sikh guru to be embodied, Guru Gobind Singh. In his last moments he proclaimed Guru Granth Sahab to be the embodiment of the ten gurus. Guru Gobind Singh Ji's last sermon:

ਆਗਿਆ ਭਈ ਅਕਾਲ ਕੀ ਤਬੀ ਚਲਾਇਓ ਪੰਥ ।
ਸਭ ਸਿਖਨ ਕੋ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੈ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਾਨਿਯੋ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ।
ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਜੀ ਮਾਨਿਯੋ ਪ੍ਗਟ ਗੁਰਾਂ ਕੀ ਦੇਹ ।
ਜੋ ਪ੍ਭ ਕੋ ਮਿਲਬੋ ਚਹੈ ਖੋਜ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਮੈਂ ਲੇਹ ।

"agya bhai akal ki tabhi chalayo panth,

sabh sikhan ko hukam hai guru manyo granth.

guru granth ji manyo pragat guran ki deh.

jo prabh ko milbo chahe khoj shabad me le."

This means that the panth or sect was started under orders of the almighty. All the Sikhs are hereby ordered to accept Guru Granth Sahab as their Guru. Guru Granth sahab has to be regarded as representing the guru's body. Those who wish to meet the Guru can find their way through the hymns in the granth.

Guru Granth Sahab contains 1430 pages of text in poetry form. The Bible was not written by Jesus Christ, nor was the Koran written by the prophet Mohammed, but Guru Granth Sahab was written by the gurus themselves, from Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Guru Gobind Singh ji. Guru Granth sahab is also regarded as the eleventh guru.

Gur-ta-gaddi composition

USA dime

Roosevelt dime, 2003

Upon his return from the Yalta Conference, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress on March 1, 1945. The President’s health was deteriorating rapidly. President Roosevelt went to a therapeutic spa he frequented since 1924 in Warm Springs, GA, for some much needed rest and recuperation. On April 12th, of the same year, he died.

Soon after the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945, legislation was introduced by Virginia Congressman Ralph H. Daughton that called for the replacement of the Mercury dime with one bearing Roosevelt's image.The dime was chosen to honor Roosevelt partly due to his efforts in the founding of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (later renamed the March of Dimes), which originally raised money for polio research and to aid victims of the disease and their families.The public had been urged to send in a dime to the Foundation, and by Roosevelt's death, the Foundation was already popularly known as the "March of Dimes."

Due to the limited amount of time available to design the new coin, the Roosevelt dime was the first regular-issue U.S. coin designed by a Mint employee in more than 40 years. Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock was chosen, as he had already designed a Mint presidential medal of Roosevelt. Sinnock's first design, submitted on October 12, 1945, was rejected, but a subsequent one was accepted on January 6, 1946.

The dime was released to the public on January 30, 1946, which would have been Roosevelt's 64th birthday. Sinnock's design placed his initials ("JS") at the base of Roosevelt's neck, on the coin's obverse. His reverse design elements of a torch, olive branch, and oak branch symbolized, respectively, liberty, peace, and victory.

Controversy immediately ensued, as strong anti-Communist sentiment in the United States led to the circulation of rumors that the "JS" engraved on the coin was the initials of Joseph Stalin, placed there by a Soviet agent in the mint.The Mint quickly issued a statement refuting this, confirming that the initials were indeed Sinnock's.

Another controversy surrounding Sinnock's design involves his image of Roosevelt. Soon after the coin's release, it was claimed that Sinnock borrowed his design of Roosevelt from a bas relief created by African American sculptor Selma Burke, unveiled at the Recorder of Deeds Building in Washington D.C. in September 1945. Sinnock denied this, claiming that he simply utilized his earlier design on the Roosevelt medal.

With the passage of the Coinage Act of 1965, the composition of the dime changed from 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper to a clad "sandwich" of copper between two layers of an alloy of 91.67 percent copper and 8.33 percent nickel.

Mercury dime, 1916

Although most commonly referred to as the "Mercury" dime, the coin does not depict the Roman messenger god. The obverse figure is a depiction of the mythological goddess Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap, a classic symbol of liberty and freedom, with its wings intended to symbolize freedom of thought. Designed by noted sculptor Adolph A. Weinman, the Winged Liberty Head dime is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful U.S. coin designs ever produced. The composition (90 percent silver, 10 percent copper) and diameter (17.9 millimeters) of the "Mercury" dime was unchanged from the Barber dime.

Weinman (who had studied under Augustus Saint-Gaudens) won a 1915 competition against two other artists for the design job, and is thought to have modeled his version of Liberty on Elsie Kachel Stevens, wife of noted poet Wallace Stevens. The reverse design, a fasces juxtaposed with an olive branch, was intended to symbolize America's readiness for war, combined with its desire for peace. Although the fasces symbol was later adopted by Benito Mussolini and his National Fascist Party, the symbol was quite common in American iconography and has generally avoided any stigma associated with its usage in wartime Italy.

This coin was minted in silver.

Barber dime, 1914

As early as 1879, public dissatisfaction with the Seated Liberty design was heard in Washington and Philadelphia. It was felt by many that the nation's coin designs were second-rate, but few could have predicted how mundane a change could really be. New designs were submitted by Mint engravers throughout the early 1880s, but the only outcome was the production of a new nickel in 1883 designed by Chief Engraver Charles Barber. In 1891, when there was much discussion of a public competition for new designs for the dime, quarter dollar and half dollar, Barber reported to Mint Director James Kimball that there was no one in the country who was capable of assisting him in preparing original designs.

What Barber did accomplish with his new dime, though, was to design and place into production a coin that would meet the striking requirements of modern, high-speed coin presses. As a Mint employee he was acutely aware of the need for coins to be designed so they would strike up with one blow from the coin press. His objection to outsiders was, no doubt, due in part to jealousy, but in all fairness he did understand the exacting specifications required to strike millions of coins for commercial purposes.

The Barber dime, as with all previous dimes, featured an image of Liberty on the obverse. She is wearing a Phrygian cap, a laurel wreath with a ribbon, and a headband with the inscription "LIBERTY". This inscription is one of the key elements used in determining the condition of Barber dimes.

The Barber dime was minted in silver.

Indian 10 paise(commemorative) - III

10 paise: world food day,1982
Weight: 2.3gm
Metal: Aluminium
Diameter: 26mm
Mint: Calcutta

10 paisa, world food day, 1981

10 paise, save for development

Note: Large 10, small emblem

Indian 10 paise(commemorative) - II

10 paise, women's year

Note: Large 10, small emblem

10 paise happy child nation's pride

Note: Large 10, small emblem

10 paise, food and shelter for all

Metal: Aluminium
Diameter: 29mm
Shape: scalloped
Note: Large 10, small emblem

Indian 10 paise(commemorative) - I

10 paise, Asian Games 1982

The 9th Asian Games were held from November 19, 1982 to December 4, 1982 in Delhi, India. This was the second time the Games were held in Delhi as it was also host to the inaugural 1951 Asian Games. New Delhi joined Bangkok (four times) as the only cities to host multiple editions of the Asian Games.

The Delhi Asian Games was the first Asiad to be held under the aegis of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The Asian Games Federation, under whose jurisdiction the first eight Asian Games had been held, dissolved to make way for the OCA.

A total number of 4,595 athletes, coming from 33 countries, competed in this Asiad. Debut sports were equestrian, golf, handball, rowing, and Women's field hockey.

These Asian Games also saw the beginning of Chinese dominance in the medals tally. Japan had won the most number of medals in previous editions of the Games. China made its presence felt in the sporting world by dethroning Japan as the top gold medalists.

In preparation for the IX Asian Games, colour television was introduced in India in a big way, as the Games were to be broadcast in colour.

The mascot for the Games was Appu – a kid elephant. Known in real life as "Kuttinarayanan", this elephant fractured its leg in an accident when he was seven years old – he stepped into a septic tank. That wound would not heal and it eventually killed him. Kuttinarayanan died on May 14, 2005.

Host of the next (10th) Asiad in 1986, and the 24th Summer Olympics in 1988, South Korea participated in the New Delhi Asiad with a 406-person delegation, including an observation team to study the facilities, management and events.

See also: Asian games proof set

10 paise, planned families food for all

Metal: aluminium
Diameter: 29mm
Note: Large 10, small emblem

10 paise, rural women's advancement

Metal: aluminium

Diameter: 29mm

Shape: scalloped

Note : small 10, large emblem.

See also: Rural women's advancement proof set

Indian Five Rupee coins - IX

5 rupee international crop science congress

The 5 rupee coin of the international crop science congress. This international conference was to be held in 1996 and a large quantity of these commemorative coins were to be minted, but for some reason the conference got canceled and never happened. So the mintage of these coins was halted in between. As a result, only 11,000 such coins were minted. This is definitely one of the rare coins of republic India. Though after wards, the Calcutta mint released a two coin set having two such coins. So these are now not as rare as they originally were,but it is still rare enough to catch the fancy of numismatists. The design on the obverse is the globe with crops all over it.

And BTW, it does not look like it in the picture, but this coin I have put up has some shine and some very beautiful toning to it when we see it in light, and counts as UNC(UNC from original circulated issues of crop science and not taken from the set that was later released and is a restrike). The given condition is rare to find and has a premium pricing to it as well.

5 rupee, 60 years of commonwealth

The 5 rupee of the 60 years of commonwealth shows the Indian parliament with the Indian flag on it. The design is almost identical to the one rupee commemorative coin issued in 1991 on the commonwealth parliamentary conference.

5 rupee: Perarignar anna durai

Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai (15 September 1909 – 3 February 1969), popularly called Anna (which means elder brother in Tamil), was a former Chief Minister of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.He was the first member of a Dravidian party to hold that post and was also the first non-Congress leader to form a majority government in independent India.

He was also known by another title: Perarignar, which means great genius. He was an erudite scholar, an astute politician, a wise statesman , an acclaimed writer and a powerful orator. He had scripted and acted in several plays. Some of his plays were later made as movies. He was the first politician from the Dravidian parties to extensively use Tamil cinema for political propaganda. Born in a middle class family of weavers, he started his career as a school teacher and then moved into the political scene of the Madras Presidency as a journalist. He edited several political journals and enrolled as a member of the Dravidar Kazhagam. As an ardent follower of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy he rose in stature as a prominent member of the party.

Various protests against the then ruling Congress government took him to prison on several occasions. The last was during the Madras anti-Hindi agitation of 1965. The agitation itself helped Annadurai to gain popular support for his party. His party won a landslide victory in the 1967 state elections. His cabinet was the youngest at that time in India. He legalised Self-respect marriages, enforced a two language policy (over the three language formula in other southern states) for the state, implemented subsidising cost of rice and renamed the Madras State to Tamil Nadu.

However, he died of cancer just two years into office and his funeral was the most attended one at that time, holding a Guinness record. Several institutions and organisations are named after him. A splinter party launched by M. G. Ramachandran in 1972 years after the death of Annadurai was named after him as ADMK (Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam).

USA nickel - II

Buffalo nickel/Indian head nickel, 1930

The buffalo nickel was minted for the first time in 1913. The American bison had become almost extinct because of inordinate and senseless hunting, and this was an effort to project the bison as a national symbol of the US and to put a curb on the mindless hunting and killing of the beasts. In this coin, the bison is standing on a mound. In another variant, it is standing on a line. The date on this coin is on the highest point and wears out very quickly, so it is quite common to find such coins with the date having been rubbed off and not visible.

The buffalo nickel is better known as the Indian head nickel as it shows the head of an Indian. A profile of a Native American is featured on the obverse of the coin, which was a composite portrait of three Native Americans: Iron Tail, an Oglala Sioux chief, Two Moons, a Cheyenne chief, and Big Tree, a Kiowa chief.

Liberty nickel, 1909

The liberty head nickel is also called the V nickel because the denomination was shown only as the Roman numeral V. It was minted from 1883 to 1912, but the most famous one is the liberty nickel of 1913 even though it was never supposed to be minted and was probably minted in an illegal way. The composition of the coin is 75% copper and 25% nickel.

The 1913 liberty nickel is one of the most famous coins to be minted in the last 100 years. The minting of the liberty nickel was officially up to 1912, but somehow 5 pieces of the liberty nickel were minted in 1913 and were circulated. The numismatist Samuel Brown spent quite a fortune in advertising that he would give anyone 500$ for the liberty nickel, or about 10,000 times the face value. The advertisement was there in The Numismatist in 1919. 500$ was a princely sum at that time, and given that the US was going through an economic depression at that time and millions of people were unemployed; the 1913 liberty nickel fever gripped the entire country. Trams or buses would be stopped at the stops for 10-15 minutes because the conductors would be checking for the liberty nickel in the change they got. The 1913 liberty nickel had already become a symbol of hope for a country entangled in stagflation and depression. Later on Samuel Brown displayed all five 1913 liberty nickels at the American Numismatic Association's annual convention in 1920. He had ostensibly bought them for 500$ each, but he had been an employee of the mint and he it is assumed that he had surreptitiously minted those coins and never released them for circulation. Such clandestine strikings were quite common in the 19th century.

Now the 1913 liberty nickel had started off with a price tag of 500$. With every auction, there is fresh hype and the price of the specimen shoots up. The 1913 liberty nickels have changed many hands and that includes Farouq, the king of Egypt who is said to have possessed two different 1913 liberty nickels at different times in his world class collection. In 2007, one of the specimens was sold for 5 million $ to an unnamed buyer.