1 Rupee EXPT Nickel Pattern

Pattern coins from the Hyderabad facility rarely surface in collector hands — the mint has historically kept experimental strikes tightly controlled within government channels. This nickel trial dates to the period when India's Ministry of Finance was actively evaluating alloy alternatives for the rupee, a process driven largely by the recurring problem of coins being melted for their metal value when commodity prices spiked. Nickel was one of several compositions tested before the current ferritic stainless steel specification was retained.