Centre Notifies Rs 100 Pure Silver Commemorative Coin for UPSC Centenary Year

The Ministry of Finance has officially sanctioned the issuance of a pure silver commemorative coin of Rs 100 denomination to mark the centenary milestone of the Union Public Service Commission. Notified under the Coinage Act, 2011, the new rules prescribe specific metallurgical and design standards for this limited-edition currency celebrating the commission's 1926-2026 tenure.

Background

The Central Government exercised its powers under clauses (d) and (e) of sub-section (2) of section 24 of the Coinage Act, 2011 to introduce the Coinage (Issue of commemorative coin on the occasion of Centenary Year of the Union Public Service Commission) Rules, 2026. This legislative action aimed to formalize the creation of a special denomination coin to honor the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as it completes 100 years of service since its establishment in 1926. The notification, under reference G.S.R. 785(E), was issued by the Department of Economic Affairs on September 8, 2026, replacing any prior ambiguity regarding the coin's specifications for this specific anniversary.

Stakeholders Impacted

The notification primarily affects the India Government Mints responsible for the production of commemorative currency and the Department of Economic Affairs within the Ministry of Finance. Secondary stakeholders include the Union Public Service Commission, numismatic collectors, and historical archivists who track national milestones through official coinage. The specific purity requirements also impact the procurement and quality control departments of the minting authorities.

Key Provisions

Physical and Metal Composition:

The new rules specified that the Rs 100 coin must be circular with an outside diameter of 44 millimeters and feature exactly 200 serrations along the edge. In a significant specification for commemorative value, the metal composition was fixed as pure silver, maintaining a 99.9 per cent silver content.

Visual and Symbolic Design:

The First Schedule of the rules detailed the obverse and reverse designs. The obverse face shall bear the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar in the centre, flanked by the word 'Bharat' in Devanagari script and 'INDIA' in English. It must also feature the Rupee symbol and the denominational value '100'. The reverse face is mandated to carry the image of the Union Public Service Commission building, the inscriptions 'UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION' in both Devanagari and English, and the centenary years '1926-2026'.

Weight and Tolerance Standards:

As per the Second Schedule, the standard weight was set at 40 grams. The government allowed a specific remedy (tolerance) in composition at 999 parts of silver per 1000, ensuring the silver content remains at 999 and above. A weight tolerance of 1/8000th was also permitted, establishing a permissible range between 39.995 grams and 40.005 grams.

Practical/Compliance Impact

The issuance of the Coinage (Issue of commemorative coin on the occasion of Centenary Year of the Union Public Service Commission) Rules, 2026 mandates the government mints to adhere strictly to the dimensions, serrations, and purity levels specified in the schedules. Compliance requires that the silver content never falls below the threshold of 999 parts per 1000, and the weight must stay within the five-milligram margin of error (39.995g to 40.005g). For collectors and the public, these rules define the legal validity and the official design parameters of the centenary coin, ensuring its authenticity as an authorized issue under the Coinage Act, 2011.

Effective Date

The notification was issued on September 8, 2026. As per Rule 1(2), the Coinage (Issue of commemorative coin on the occasion of Centenary Year of the Union Public Service Commission) Rules, 2026 came into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.