5 Paise (Aluminium) Coin of Republic of India Years of Minting 1967–1971 AD

Republic of India, Years of Minting: 1967–1971 CE, Denomination: 5 Paise, Metal: Aluminium, Weight: 1.6 grams, Diameter: 22 mm, Reference: KM# 18, About Very Fine.

Obverse: Ashoka Lion Capital centered, with the country name in Devanagari “भारत” and Latin “INDIA” displayed on either side.

Reverse: Denomination “5” at the center with Devanagari legend “पाँच पैसे” and the date below, accompanied by the inscription “रुपये का बीसवाँ भाग” (One-Twentieth of a Rupee), emphasizing its fractional value within the decimal currency system.

Issued during the transitional decades of India’s post-independence monetary development, the aluminium 5 Paise coin of 1967–1971 reflects the government’s efforts to create a practical and economical coinage system for a rapidly growing economy. As inflation gradually reduced the purchasing power of low denominations, lightweight aluminium became the preferred metal for small-value coins due to its low production cost and ease of mass circulation. The coin is especially notable for its distinctive square shape with rounded corners, making it easily recognizable by touch and visually different from other circulating denominations. The inscription “One-Twentieth of a Rupee” served as a reminder of its precise place within India’s decimalized currency structure introduced in 1957. Widely used in everyday commerce across both urban and rural India, this denomination played an important role in small-scale transactions during the late 1960s and early 1970s. With the continuing rise of inflation, such low-value coins eventually lost practical monetary significance and were withdrawn from circulation, leaving behind a memorable example of India’s innovative and experimental coinage designs.