Ramanattukara: Although the Reserve Bank has not officially withdrawn 50 paise coin, it is slowly disappearing from our daily lives. Today, one can hardly buy even a small candy with 50 paise. This has led to confusion among the public and shopkeepers alike about whether the coin is still valid. As a result, most vendors have stopped accepting it.

Lately, one could buy tamarind candies for 50 paise, but even those are now sold in packets priced at ₹1 for two pieces. Even though the price of a postcard remains 50 paise, one has to pay ₹1 to buy two, making the use of the coin impractical. In short, if you happen to have a 50 paise coin, it’s more of a burden than a benefit.

Interestingly, places of worship still receive 50 paise coins in abundance, especially in offering boxes. For instance, the Guruvayur temple received ₹5,800 worth of 50 paise coins in the month of July alone, according to temple officials. These coins are usually deposited in banks. In some temples, there’s a traditional offering called “a handful of coins,” where devotees exchange larger denomination notes for 50 paise coins to place in offering boxes.

However, banks report that 50 paise coins are now rarely received from the public. Still, it's important to note that 50 paise coins are legally valid tender. Therefore, both banks and shopkeepers are legally obligated to accept them if offered.

According to Section 15A of the Coinage Act of 1906, the Central Government issued a notification on December 20, 2010, declaring that coins of 25 paise and below would cease to be legal tender from June 30, 2011. Following this, the 50 paise coin became the lowest denomination still valid for transactions.