2 Annas Republic of India 1954 AD Bombay mint Copper-Nickel Bull type Historical Coin

Republic of India, Years of Minting: 1950-1955 CE, Denomination: 2 Annas, Metal: Copper-Nickel, Weight: 5.74 grams, Size: 25.4 × 25.4 mm, Reference: KM# 4, About Extremely Fine, Scarce.

Obverse: Ashoka Lion Capital within a circle, with “GOVERNMENT OF INDIA” around.

Reverse: Zebu (Indian bull) facing left, with the date below; “TWO ANNAS दो आना” around.

Issued during the early years of the Republic of India, the Two Annas copper-nickel coin was part of the New Anna Series introduced after independence. Struck between 1950 and 1955, it continued the pre-decimal monetary system inherited from British India, in which sixteen Annas equalled one Rupee. The distinctive square shape with rounded corners made the coin easily recognizable in circulation. The obverse features the Ashoka Lion Capital, India’s national emblem, representing the authority of the newly established republic. The reverse depicts a zebu bull, symbolizing India’s agricultural heritage and rural economy. The denomination was valued at one-eighth of a Rupee and circulated throughout India before the introduction of decimal currency in 1957, when the Anna denominations were gradually withdrawn. The Two Annas coin is now a collectible example of India’s early republican coinage, reflecting the country’s transition towards a modern national monetary system.

Coinage Note: Struck at the Bombay (Mumbai) Mint, the Two Annas coin bears a diamond-shaped () mint mark below the date. The 1954 issue is particularly scarce and is catalogued as KM# 4 The denomination was issued in copper-nickel and featured the Ashoka Lion Capital on the obverse and the zebu bull on the reverse. These coins represent the final years of India’s traditional Anna-based monetary system before decimalization in 1957.