Women are often crowned “the first ever” to do something of higher esteem in this country and all over the world. However, there is a reason for that and yes, it is just as simple as it may sound. While you may be thinking, but men do too, and of course that is the case, but as a woman, you are not often allowed or invited to do the same things as a man. Hence, women are noted as doing the first of something more often for that reason alone. Nevertheless, those accomplishments made by women are just as important, which is certainly the case for this next female we are going to learn about as part of our blog series following Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Women on Coins. Author Ron Guth will help to navigate the rise and fall of this first and only for India.
Indira Gandhi
Born in November of 1917 in Allahabad, India, Indira Nehru was the only child of Jawaharlal and Kamala Nehru. Although born well off, her family would lose their fortune as her mother and father were involved in the independence movement of Mahatma Gandhi. In and out of prison, her parents' inconsistencies led to a great deal of unpredictability in Indira’s life. She would eventually travel to England to further her studies at Somerville College in Oxford. It was at Oxford that she would meet her husband, Feroze Gandhi.
Fast forward and Indira would become prime minister of India in 1966 as the leader of the Congress Party. She was the first, and currently the only, woman to be elected in the position. She began her second term in 1971 as she ran a strong campaign against poverty. However, she lost her seat in parliament in 1975 due to charges brought against her for illegal campaign activities. She continued to serve as prime minister, which led the people of India into turmoil. This forced India’s president to enact emergency procedures, including censorship and curfews. Indira was once again elected as prime minister of the Congress Party in 1980. In response, a Sikh rebellion was on the cusp in 1984 until Indira stifled the operation, brutally invoking the military to which a deadly battle ensued. This led to two of her bodyguards, who were Sikh, to shoot her in an act of vengeance on October 31st.
In her honor, this led India to strike a 50-paise, 5-rupee, 20-rupee, and 100-rupee coins in the year following her death. The obverse of all the coins features Indira’s profile which the reverse depicts the Ashokan lions, which is a national symbol of India. The 100-rupee coin is the only one that contains silver while the other denominations are comprised of copper nickel.
According to Guth, these coins are easy to collect. They are very common and rather inexpensive, with the 20-rupee and 100-rupee the hardest to come by and therefore the most expensive ranging from $125-200. If the coins are found in their original government packaging, they are worth a premium.