Kolkata Mint Opens Bookings for Uttam Kumar ₹100 Proof Set

The Kolkata Mint’s Uttam Kumar centenary set gives collectors another mint issue to weigh against the cost of completing a commemorative theme. Bookings for the ₹100 coin began on September 24, 2026, with limited availability. The current offering is a Proof Set with Booklet, priced at ₹16,037. That price and packaging define the offer described here; collectors considering the set will also want to keep the booking window and mint identity attached to their records.

Two mint offerings for one centenary theme

The Kolkata booking follows an earlier opening in Mumbai. The Mumbai Mint began bookings for the same ₹100 commemorative coin in Proof Set with Booklet packaging on September 12, 2026, at an issue price of ₹15,743. Kolkata’s listed price is ₹16,037, a difference of ₹294 between the two stated initial prices. Both sets share the denomination, theme and broad packaging description, so the mint and price are the clearest distinctions in the details provided.

That comparison is useful for collectors tracking the release, though the source describes the Kolkata price as an initial issue price that may be revised. The two dates and prices capture the information available at the time of the report; collectors should check the booking details for any later changes before placing an order. A price listed at the start of bookings is a point-in-time detail, and it shouldn’t be treated as a permanent feature of the issue.

This is the second instance cited of a commemorative theme appearing from both the Mumbai and Kolkata Mints. The earlier example was the ₹100 coin issued in 2025 for 100 Years of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The repeated-mint approach gives collectors a reason to compare the individual issues, while also raising a practical question: does collecting a theme mean acquiring one coin, or a version from each mint? That distinction can shape how a collection is organized, especially when a collector tracks issues by subject as well as by mint.

Mint differences can shape a collecting decision

For collectors who pursue mint marks and die varieties, coins tied to the same theme may not feel interchangeable. A second mint’s version can represent a distinct addition to a collection, even when the commemorative subject is shared. That makes the choice less straightforward than simply deciding whether the subject interests the collector. The release details here establish two mint offerings, but they don’t specify what physical differences, if any, distinguish the coins themselves.

The source points to pure-silver issues and volatile silver prices as part of the affordability concern. When a collector chooses to pursue both mint versions, the combined cost rises beyond the price of either set on its own. The listed Kolkata and Mumbai prices show that the two offerings also carry different initial prices, so collectors comparing them need to consider each set separately. This is more significant than it looks: packaging the same theme in two mint offerings can turn a single collecting choice into a question of how much completeness is worth to an individual hobbyist.

Budget matters especially for hobbyists who build collections over time and set limits on what they can spend. A sequence of themes issued across multiple mints could require collectors to make more choices about completeness, timing and which varieties matter most to them. Those decisions are personal: the release information establishes the booking dates, packaging and prices, but it doesn’t determine which version belongs in any individual collection. If you’re working in this space, a clear collecting rule—one example per theme, or one per mint—can make later decisions easier to assess.

Booking details and availability

The Kolkata set is available while supplies last, according to the source. It says collectors can purchase these sets at mint premises or through the mint’s online booking channel. The source also points readers to a current and upcoming bookings page for updates. Because availability is limited and the quoted issue price may be revised, those details are the ones to confirm when checking the listing. The practical takeaway is simple: the report identifies where bookings are offered, but the live listing is the place to verify whether the set remains available and what price is currently shown.

For a collection record, the key details to keep together are the ₹100 denomination, the Centenary Celebration of Mahanayak Uttam Kumar theme, the Kolkata Mint, the September 24, 2026 booking start, and the Proof Set with Booklet packaging. Collectors comparing the parallel Mumbai offering can record its September 12, 2026 booking date and ₹15,743 initial issue price alongside Kolkata’s ₹16,037 price. A consistent record helps preserve the distinction between two sets that share a commemorative subject but were booked through different mints.

What the parallel release means for collectors

The release puts a familiar collecting tension in view: a shared subject can produce more than one mint-specific version, and completing both may not suit every budget. And yet, a second mint issue can matter to collectors whose records focus on mint origin, even if the available information doesn’t establish additional differences between the pieces. The numbers here are underwhelming as a guide to value or scarcity; they describe the initial prices and booking details, not how collectors will judge the sets later.

For now, the strongest basis for comparison is the information the source actually gives: denomination, centenary theme, mint, packaging, booking start and initial price. (And this is the part most people overlook.) A shared subject doesn’t automatically settle what “complete” means for a collection. One set, both sets, or neither may fit a collector’s priorities. A matter of collecting scope.

The next useful detail for collectors is any change to availability or the initial price in the booking listing, along with any mint-specific features that distinguish the sets. Until those details are confirmed, the two offerings can be compared on their stated terms without assuming that the higher price signals a difference in the coin itself. What this means for you depends on whether your collection follows the commemorative subject, the mint, or both.