Design

Obverse (“Small Farmers”)

• Shows a man and woman working the land, sowing grain or harvesting — symbolizing India’s millions of small-scale farmers.

• Below the figures: “SMALL FARMERS” in English and the Hindi legend “लघु किसान”.

• Around the top: “FOOD AND WORK FOR ALL – FAO 1987” (in English and Hindi).

• The scene represents dignity of rural labor and agricultural self-reliance.

Reverse

• The Lion Capital of Ashoka, India’s national emblem.

• Denomination 1 RUPEE / रूपया 1, and the year 1987 below, flanked by grain ears.

Historical context

1. FAO partnership.
   In the 1980s India actively joined FAO’s global coin program to highlight food security and rural employment.
   The 1987 issue focused on small farmers — the backbone of Indian agriculture.

2. Post–Green Revolution era.
   By the late 1980s India had achieved self-sufficiency in grain. This coin celebrated the people who made that possible — family farmers and field workers.

3. Transitional currency.
   It was among the final full-size copper-nickel rupees before India’s switch to smaller stainless-steel coins in 1992.

Interesting facts

1. Human figures – a rarity.
   Very few Indian circulation coins show people; this one is notable for its realistic depiction of male and female farmers working side by side.

2. “Food and Work for All.”
   That phrase summarized India’s 1980s development policy — linking rural employment programs with national food production.

3. Four mints, subtle variations.
   The Hyderabad star issue is usually scarcer; collectors often build “four-mint” sets from the same year.

4. Educational message.
   FAO encouraged using such coins in schools to remind citizens that small farmers were essential to ending hunger.

5. Durable design.
   Struck in hard Cu-Ni alloy, the coin kept its sharp details for decades — still common in circulation into the 2000s.

6. Part of a world series.
   Over 100 countries issued FAO coins; India’s 1987 rupee is one of the most emblematic from Asia, with its direct depiction of rural life.

Collector value (approx.)

In summary

The 1987 India 1 Rupee “Small Farmers” coin honors the real foundation of India’s food security — its rural workers.
Struck under the FAO program, it carries a timeless message: “Food and Work for All.”
A modest coin with a big humanitarian story behind it.

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