Chapter V
OFFENCES AND PENALTIES
12. Prohibition of making or melting or destruction of coins.
12. Prohibition of making or melting or destruction of coins.—(1) No person shall—
(i) use any metal piece as coin whether stamped or unstamped, intended to be used as money except by the authority of the Government, or
(ii) melt or destroy any coin, or
(iii) use coin other than as a medium of exchange, or
(iv) have in his possession, custody or control,—
(a) any melted coin, whether in the molten state or in a solid state, or
(b) any coin in a destroyed or mutilated state, or
(c) coins substantially in excess of his reasonable requirements for the purpose of selling such coins for value other than their face value or for melting or for destroying or for disposing these coins other than as a medium of exchange.
Explanation.—For the purposes of determining the reasonable requirements of coins of a person, due regard shall be had to—
(i) his total daily requirements of coins;
(ii) the nature of his business, occupation or profession;
(iii) the mode of his acquisition of coins; and
(iv) the manner in which, and the place at which, such coins are being possessed, held or controlled by him.
(2) Whoever is found to be in possession of any metal or material which contains alloys in the same proportions in which they have been used in the manufacture of any coin shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, to have contravened the provisions of sub-section (1).
(3) Nothing in this section shall apply—
(i) to any person who is found in possession of any metal or scraps or scissel, etc., of non-recyclable coinage metal, which he may so possess as a result of valid disposal by auctions by a Mint;
(ii) to the Mint, Reserve Bank of India and its authorised agents, and suppliers of coins or coin blanks to the extent of orders placed by or under the authority of the Government until their supply or completion of orders placed by the Government;
(iii) to any prospective supplier who intends to supply coin or coin blanks as samples against a valid tender documents purchased by him provided that quantity is in reasonable agreement with quantity of samples to be supplied.
| Other Contents of Coinage Act, 2011 |
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| Sections 1 to 11 Sections 12 to 28 |
13. Penalty for contravention of Section 12.
13. Penalty for contravention of Section 12.—Whoever contravenes any provisions of Section 12 shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to seven years and with fine.
14. Prohibition and penalty for unlawful making, issue or possession of pieces of metal to be used as money.
14. Prohibition and penalty for unlawful making, issue or possession of pieces of metal to be used as money.—(1) No person shall—
(a) make or issue or attempt to issue any metal piece except as provided under Section 4 for the purpose of coin;
(b) possess, custody or control of any metal piece with the intent to issue the piece for use as money for a medium of exchange.
(2) Whoever contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine or with both:
Provided that if any person convicted under this section is again convicted, he shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.
15. Prohibition and penalty for bringing metal piece for use as coin.
15. Prohibition and penalty for bringing metal piece for use as coin.—(1) No person shall bring by sea or by land or by air into India of any piece of metal to be used as coin except with the authority or permission of the Government.
(2) Whoever contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to seven years and with fine.
16. Offences by companies.
16. Offences by companies.—(1) Where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person who at the time the offence was committed was in charge of, and was responsible to, the company for the conduct of its business, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly:
Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any person liable to any punishment, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding, anything contained in sub-section (1), where any offence under this Act has been committed by a company and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable to, any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary or other officer, such director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,—
(a) “company” means any body corporate and includes a firm, society or other association of individuals; and
(b) “director”, in relation to—
(i) a firm, means a partner or proprietor of the firm;
(ii) a society or other association of individuals, means the person who is entrusted, under the rules of the society or other association, with the management of the affairs of the society or other association of the individuals, as the case may be.
Chapter VI
MISCELLANEOUS
17. Forfeiture.
17. Forfeiture.—Any coin or metal in relation to which any offence under this Act has been committed shall be forfeited to the Government.
18. Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 not to apply to offences under this Act.
18. Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 not to apply to offences under this Act.—Nothing in the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 (20 of 1958) shall apply to offences under this Act.
19. Offences to be cognizable, bailable and non-compoundable.
19. Offences to be cognizable, bailable and non-compoundable.—Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), offences under this Act shall be cognizable and bailable, but shall not be compoundable.
20. Amendment of Act 2 of 1934.
20. Amendment of Act 2 of 1934.—In the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934,—
(i) in Section 2, in clause (d), for the words and figures “the Indian Coinage Act, 1906 (3 of 1906)”, the words and figures “the Coinage Act, 2011” shall be substituted;
(ii) in Section 39, for the words and figures “the Indian Coinage Act, 1906 (3 of 1906)”, at both the places where they occur, the words and figures “the Coinage Act, 2011” shall be substituted.
21. Offences may be tried summarily.
21. Offences may be tried summarily.—Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 260 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), offences under this Act may be tried summarily by a Judicial Magistrate of the first class or a Metropolitan Magistrate.
22. Protection of action taken in good faith.
22. Protection of action taken in good faith.—No suit or other legal proceedings shall lie against any person in respect of anything which is in good faith done, or intended to be done, under or in pursuance of the provisions of this Act.
23. Power to remove difficulties.
23. Power to remove difficulties.—(1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the Government may, by order published in the Official Gazette, make such provisions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act as may appear it to be necessary or expedient for removing the difficulty:
Provided that no such order shall be made under this section after the expiry of five years from the commencement of this Act.
(2) Every order made under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament.
24. Power to make rules.
24. Power to make rules.—(1) The Government may, by notification, make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act.
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely—
(a) the use of metal for the purpose of making any coin under clause (f) of Section 2;
(b) the per cent of metals for any coin under clause (i) of Section 2;
(c) the standard weight for any coin under clause (l) of Section 2;
(d) the dimensions, designs, metals, mixed metals or their composition, for coins under Section 4;
(e) the standard weight of coins and the remedy allowed in making such coins under Section 5.
25. Rules to be laid before Parliament.
25. Rules to be laid before Parliament.—Every rule made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.
26. Saving of making other coins at Mints.
26. Saving of making other coins at Mints.—Nothing is this Act shall be deemed to prohibit or restrict the making at any Mint in India of coins intended for issue as money by the foreign Government of any territories beyond the limits of India.
27. Repeal and savings.
27. Repeal and savings.—(1) The following enactments are hereby repealed—
(a) the Metal Tokens Act, 1889 (1 of 1889);
(b) the Coinage Act, 1906 (3 of 1906);
(c) the Bronze Coin (Legal Tender) Act, 1918 (22 of 1918);
(d) the Currency Ordinance, 1940 (Ord. IV of 1940);
(e) the Small Coins (Offences) Act, 1971 (52 of 1971).
(2) The repeal by this Act of the enactments and Ordinance specified in sub-section (1) shall not—
(a) affect any other enactment in which the repealed enactment or Ordinance has been applied, incorporated or referred to;
(b) affect the validity, invalidity, effect or consequences of anything already done or suffered, or any right, title, obligation or liability already acquired, accrued or incurred or any remedy or proceeding in respect thereof, or any release or discharge of or from any debt, penalty, obligation, liability, claim or demand, or any indemnity already granted, or the proof of any past act or thing;
(c) affect any principle or rule of law, or established jurisdiction, form or course of pleading, practice or procedure, or existing usage, custom, privilege, restriction, exemption, office or appointment, notwithstanding that the same respectively may have been in any manner affirmed or recognised or derived by, in or from any enactment or Ordinance hereby repealed;
(d) revive or restore any jurisdiction, office, custom, liability, right, title, privilege, restriction, exemption, usage, practice, procedure or other matter or thing not now existing or in force.
(3) The mention of particular matters in sub-section (1) shall not be held to prejudice or affect the general application of Section 6 of the General Clauses Act, 1897 (10 of 1897), with regard to the effect of repeals.
28. Continuance of existing coins.
28. Continuance of existing coins.—Notwithstanding the repeal of the enactments and the Ordinance specified in sub-section (1) of Section 27,—
(a) all coins issued under the said enactments; and
(b) Government of India one rupee note issued under the Currency Ordinance, 1940 (Ord. IV of 1940),
which are legal tender immediately before the commencement of the Coinage Act, 2011 shall be deemed to be the coin and continue to be legal tender in payment or on account under the corresponding provisions of this Act.
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