1970 20 Paise Coin Value
The catalogue records 5 catalogued varieties of the 20 Paise for 1970, struck at Bombay (Mumbai Mint), Calcutta (Kolkatta Mint), Hyderabad Mint.
Is the 1970 one the rare one?
Partly. Of the 5 varieties struck that year the catalogue separates 2 Scarce from the rest. Which one you have depends on the mint mark, not the year alone.
Every 1970 variety, by mint
| Mint | Rarity | Metal | Weight | Diameter | Thickness | UNC (catalogue) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombay (Mumbai Mint) | Scarce | Aluminium - Bronze | 4.5 grams | 22.00 mm | ₹100 | |
| Calcutta (Kolkatta Mint) | Scarce | Aluminium - Bronze | 4.5 grams | 22.00 mm | ₹125 | |
| Bombay (Mumbai Mint) | Common | Aluminium - Bronze | 4.5 grams | 22.00 mm | 1.75 mm | not priced |
| Calcutta (Kolkatta Mint) | Common | Aluminium - Bronze | 4.5 grams | 22.00 mm | 1.75 mm | not priced |
| Hyderabad Mint | Common | Aluminium - Bronze | 4.5 grams | 22.00 mm | 1.75 mm | not priced |
Check it against your own coin
Every 1970 variety weighs 4.5 grams and measures 22.00 mm across, circular. If yours is noticeably lighter or smaller it is not a 1970 20 Paise, whatever the date reads as.
Weigh it on any scale that reads to a tenth of a gram, and measure the diameter across the widest point. Wear removes very little weight, so a coin more than a few percent off the figure above is usually a different issue rather than a worn one.
Reading the mint mark on your coin
The mark sits under the year. A star is Hyderabad, a diamond or dot is Mumbai, a solid dot is Noida, and no mark at all is Kolkata. On a 1970 20 Paise that mark is the whole question, because the year on its own does not separate one variety from another.
What it is worth
2 of the 5 varieties carry a reference price, from ₹100 to ₹125 in uncirculated condition. A coin that spent years in circulation is not that coin.
Every other year and denomination is catalogued here, and this explains how selling actually works.