In 1540 Maharana Pratap, ruler of Mewar and one of Rajasthan’s most revered heroes, was born in the hill fortress of Kumbhalgarh; 475 years later India marked the date with a circulating 10-rupee coin. The bust of the Maharana on the reverse is framed by the legends «महाराणा प्रताप की 475वीं जयंती» and «475TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF MAHARANA PRATAP».

The anniversary was a national occasion: India’s Ministry of Culture, together with the Government of Rajasthan, held celebrations throughout 2015–16. On 9 May 2016 in New Delhi, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mahesh Sharma, released two coins at once: a collector’s 100 rupees and this 10 rupees for everyday circulation.

In his last years Pratap ruled from Chavand, where artists worked at his court and a distinct school of Rajasthani painting took shape. In 2007 a statue of the Maharana was unveiled in the Parliament of India, and the 2015 anniversary coin became one more form of his remembrance.

Grade AU-UNC: practically no signs of circulation, at most faint rub on the highest points of the relief, with the lustre almost fully intact. For a collection of Indian rulers or a date run of commemorative 10 rupees, this is an anniversary piece with a crisp portrait and fully legible legends.

Besides this coin, VPcoins offers other issues from the same era and region.