India 50-PAISE (KM66)

Bengal Tiger

This circulating coin was issued in 1985 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Reserve Bank of India.

Krause and other online resources insist on calling this cat a lion, which it clearly is not. The confusion comes from the bank's first choice of logo, the East India Company's "Double Mohur", which you can see here. That logo features a lion. But the Reserve Bank of India replaced the lion with a Bengal Tiger, which is the country's national animal. Even without colour to guide you, there is no comparison between the body shape of a tiger (as seen on this coin), and a lion, as seen on the Double Mohur.


Diameter
24 mm
Composition
Copper-Nickel
Catalogue #
KM66
Obverse Legend
INDIA 50 PAISE
Reverse Legend
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA GOLDEN JUBILEE 1935-85

All coin images in Daniel's Coin Zoo are from my personal collection. I collect, research, and personally photograph every coin displayed on this site. PLEASE do not take my images without permission. If you would like to use any coin image you see, just ask meThank you.