Nickel-Brass 10 Paise of Republic India (AD 1971) of Bombay Mint Extremely Fine

10 Paise of Republic India, Year: 1968–1971 CE, Denomination: 10 Paise, Metal: Nickel brass, Weight: 4.3 grams, Diameter: 23 mm, Thickness: 1.7 mm, Reference: KM #26.1–26.3, about extremely fine.

Obverse: Ashoka Lion Capitol; lettering “भारत INDIA” in Devanagari & Latin,

Reverse: Denomination with date; “रुपये का दसवाँ भाग” and “10 दस पैसे YEAR” in Devanagari. 

The Indian 10 Paise coin was introduced in the Republic era shortly after India’s adoption of a decimal currency system in 1957. Made of nickel brass with a distinctive scalloped shape, it was struck between 1968 and 1971 for everyday commerce. The obverse features the State Emblem (Ashoka Lion Capital), symbolizing India’s sovereignty, while the reverse shows the denomination and date with inscriptions in Devanagari. As inflation rose and minting costs changed, these coins gradually became less practical, and they were officially demonetized on 30 June 2011. Today these coins are collected for their historical role in India’s decimal coinage and variety of mintmarks.