On this day, the construction of the third mint in Kolkata began at Strand Road. It was opened for coinage on August 1, 1829.
The architect was Major General William Nairn Forbes, also the architect of St Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata. The architecture of the mint was mainly Graeco-Doric with the façade resembling the Minerva temple at Athens.
This mint played a major role in India’s coin production, minting gold, silver, nickel, copper, cupro-nickel, nickel-brass and bronze coins.
The throne used by the king and queen at the Delhi Durbar of 1911 was cast by melting 96,000 old silver rupee coins at this mint. Plaques for the Durbar monument at Delhi and several other memorials were struck by the mint.
In 1940, plans began to start a mint at Alipore. The Strand Road mint was officially closed in 1952. The Alipore mint opened in March that year.
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