Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 249
repealedAltering appearance of Indian coin with intent that it shall pass as coin of different description
Whoever performs on any Indian coin any operation which alters the appearance of that coin, with the intention that the said coin shall pass as a coin of a different description, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Why this exists
Coins carry a fixed, government-guaranteed value. This section, part of a group of coin-offence provisions in the Indian Penal Code, protects public trust in currency by punishing anyone who tampers with a coin's appearance to trick people into treating it as more valuable than it really is. Note: the IPC was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, effective 1 July 2024, which now governs new offences of this kind.