₹100 Modhera Sun Temple Coin: Design, Metal and Specifications

A ₹100 coin commemorating 1,000 years of the Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat is described with a specific alloy, substantial dimensions and inscriptions in both Devanagari and English. For collectors, those details make the proposed issue especially easy to distinguish: the denomination, 32-gram weight, 44 mm diameter and temple design together provide a clear reference for identifying the coin once it becomes available.

The source says the coin was confirmed in a gazette notification dated September 18, 2026. It gives no release date, mint, mintage, issue method or availability details, so those points remain open. The stated anniversary range is 1026–2026, and the reverse is designed to connect that date span directly with the temple’s commemorative image.

That gap between a detailed design description and an incomplete issue profile matters. A specification can help collectors recognize what has been announced, but it doesn’t answer when or how the coin can be obtained. Until those details are supplied, the description is a useful reference—not a full account of the issue.

Specifications and alloy

The coin is specified as nickel silver containing 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Its listed weight is 32 grams, its diameter is 44 mm, and its edge has 200 serrations. Together, those measurements give collectors several practical points to compare against the published description: composition, mass, width and the number of edge notches.

Each feature serves a different purpose when checking an example. Weight and diameter can be measured directly, while the edge count takes more care to inspect; the stated alloy composition may require information beyond a visual check. Similar coin descriptions typically rely on several features together, since a single measurement rarely tells the whole story. Here, the combination of denomination, dimensions, metal proportions and edge detail offers a more useful reference than any one item alone.

The alloy proportions are stated precisely, but the source doesn’t describe the coin’s finish, relief, packaging or any differences between possible versions. Those details shouldn’t be inferred from the metal recipe or dimensions. When a physical example can be examined, the written specifications can serve as a checklist alongside the inscriptions and central designs.

Reading the two faces

The obverse places the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar at the centre. Beneath it appears “सत्यमेव जयते.” The word “भारत” in Devanagari is set along the left periphery, while “INDIA” appears on the right. The rupee symbol “₹” and the denomination “100,” written in international numerals, sit below the central emblem.

This arrangement gives the obverse a clear hierarchy: national emblem at the centre, country names around it, and denomination below. For a collector comparing the stated design with an image or coin, placement is part of the description, not just the wording itself. A mismatch in language or position would be a reason to check the reference carefully before treating an item as the announced design.

On the reverse, the Modhera Sun Temple is the central motif. The upper periphery carries “मोढेरा सूर्य मंदिर, गुजरात के 1000 वर्ष” in Devanagari, with “1026-2026” above the temple image. Along the lower periphery, the English wording reads “1000 Years of Modhera Sun Temple, Gujarat.” Collectors checking the design can compare the placement and language of each inscription, as well as the anniversary dates above the motif.

The bilingual wording makes the commemorative subject unusually explicit. You don’t have to rely on the temple image alone to identify the occasion: the place name and anniversary appear in both scripts, while the date range anchors the design to the stated centenary. And this is the part most people overlook: the inscription layout may be just as useful for identification as the building image.

The monument behind the design

The temple is dedicated to Surya, the Sun God, and dates to the early 11th century, during the reign of Solanki King Bhima I. Its architectural ensemble includes the Surya Kund, Sabha Mandapa and main shrine. Detailed carvings across the complex depict Hindu deities, celestial figures, dancers, musicians and mythological scenes. The temple is identified with the Maru-Gurjara style and is known for its eastward orientation.

Those features give the monument a visual vocabulary that could support a detailed commemorative image. The temple is part of a larger architectural setting, so a coin design could emphasize the shrine, its setting or a more general silhouette; the available description doesn’t say which elements appear. That distinction matters when comparing a finished coin with a preliminary image, since a broad identification of the subject doesn’t establish every design detail.

That setting gives the reverse more to communicate than a building name alone. The temple motif links the coin to a specific monument, while the bilingual anniversary inscriptions identify both the place and the occasion. The supplied description doesn’t specify which architectural details will be selected for the image, so the precise treatment will be clearest on the finished coin or an authorized design illustration.

What collectors can track

The announcement provides a useful design and specification record, but not a complete issue profile. No mintage figure, mint mark, sale channel, release date or packaging description is included. Those are the details to watch for as more information appears; they can help collectors document an example and distinguish the confirmed features from points that have yet to be described.

For now, the strongest identifiers are the ₹100 denomination, 32-gram nickel silver specification, 44 mm diameter, 200 edge serrations, and the 1026–2026 temple reverse. The coin’s planned design brings together a recognizable monument and clearly stated anniversary wording, giving collectors a precise set of features to check when the issue moves from description to an available coin.

Why the missing details matter

The numbers here are underwhelming as a complete collecting record: they describe the coin’s physical form, but leave basic questions about distribution unanswered. That doesn’t make the design information unhelpful. It does mean collectors should keep a clear distinction between what the notification reportedly confirms and what remains unspecified.

If you’re working in this space, record the stated specifications and inscription layout, then compare them with later official material as it appears. A release notice or design image could clarify practical details that aren’t in the current account. Until then, the most defensible description is a proposed ₹100 commemorative coin with a defined alloy, dimensions, edge and temple-themed reverse. A useful reference, with open questions.