Silver-alloy commemorative coins for first time after independence issued on 02.10.1969 to commemorate Gandhi Birth Centenary at face-value of rupees ten at a time when value of silver-content in the coin was much lower than face-value of rupees ten. Moreover these coins and their coin-sets were issued to general public right from date of issue on 02.10.1969. But system has now been changed when face-value of silver-alloy coins is much-much less than the silver-content of the coin, evidently doing away with system of providing commemorative coins at face-value to general public.
Now only coin-sets in plastic-packs in two different categories of Proof and Uncirculated categories are sold at much exorbitant price through a cumbersome booking-procedure making these reach to those having booked several months after advance-booking thus killing the very purpose of commemorating an occasion through issue of coins.
Face-value of silver-alloy coin should be kept at about double the then prevailing market-value of silver content, and these should be issued to general public right from date of issue from scattered distribution centres like all RBI offices, selected branches of public and private sector banks, and all philatical-centres of Department of posts. There should be only one costlier Proof category of coin-sets with all denominations of coins issued on the occasion, and these should also be available at suggested distribution-centres right from date of issue.
MADHU AGRAWAL