A mint mark is a small symbol on a coin identifying the facility where it was struck. For Indian coin collectors, knowing these marks is essential for identifying rare variations.
The Four Active Indian Mints
Mumbai Mint uses a small diamond shape beneath the date. Kolkata Mint historically used no mint mark at all — if you see no symbol beneath the date it was minted in Kolkata. Hyderabad Mint used a star mark or split diamond. Noida Mint, established in 1988, uses a solid round dot.
Foreign Mints
During periods of high demand India outsourced coin production. You may find marks from Pretoria, Seoul, Birmingham or Ottawa on certain years of Indian coinage — variations that specialists actively seek out.