Pakistan Mint Canteen
Pakistan Mint is at Suknahare, opposite Mapco Corp. on Grand Trunk Road at Pakistan Mint stop near Shalimar Gardens, Lahore. It is responsible to mint circulating coins or currency for Pakistan since 1948 but also manufacturing different type of Medals for Military Armed Forces. Pakistan Mint has residential quarters, shops and recreational parks located within the vicinity.
 
During George VI rule some Tokens were produced as Lahore Mint Employee Canteen Tokens without Date (assumed to be produced in 1943). These Tokens are listed in Krause publication book "Unusual World Coins", Edition 5 at page: 294. Below is the listed of such Tokens have different face value but having same diameter.
  • X#Tn10 (Prid.# 175) 1/2 Anna ND (1943). Metal: Copper. Diameter: 26.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Obverse Legend: "H.M's MINT + AN 1/2 NA + LAHORE". Small Crown above digit "1". Obverse legend: "TOKEN" written in the center.
  • X#Tn11 (Prid.# 174) Anna ND (1943). Metal: Copper. Diameter: 26.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Obverse Legend: "H.M's MINT + AN 1 NA + LAHORE". Small Crown above digit "1". Obverse legend: "TOKEN" written in the center.
  • X#Tn12 (Prid.# 173) Two Annas ND (1943). Metal: Copper. Diameter: 26.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Obverse Legend: "H.M's MINT + AN 2 NA + LAHORE". Small Crown above digit "2". Obverse legend: "TOKEN" written in the center.
  • X#Tn13 (Prid.# 172) Four Annas ND (1943). Metal: Copper. Diameter: 26.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Obverse Legend: "H.M's MINT + AN 4 NA + LAHORE". Small Crown above digit "4". Obverse legend: "TOKEN" written in the center.
 

Anna. Year: ND (1943). Weight: 6.81g. Metal: Copper. Diameter: 25.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: "H.M's MINT" at the top with circle at the top center position. Crown below the top circle. "+ AN 1 NA +" written in the center. "LAHORE" written at the bottom. Reverse: "TOKEN" written in the center. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A.

Note: This coin is similar to X#Tn11 but has circle at the top on the Obverse side and has diameter of 25.00 mm instead of 26.00 mm.
 
In the beginning coins were struck under the direction of Bernard Sinclair-Jones O.B.E., Deputy Master of the Royal Mint in India, at Calcutta until 1943 and later at Lahore until 1947. Sinclair-Jones played a major part in the introduction of nickel coinage into India (M.B.E), and at the time of the Japanese invasion of Burma, he was solely responsible (the Master of the Mint being ill), for the removal of the Calcutta Mint to the relative safe place at Lahore (O.B.E). The coins were two of a total six pairs of pattern Rupee prepared in 1947 prior to the commencement of coinage for the newly independent Republic of Pakistan. Neither of the designs was adopted and when Sinclair-Jones left Pakistan during the turmoil of the 1947-1948 riots, the four sets were lost and their present whereabouts is unknown.
Bernard Sinclair-Jones' career in India was full of incident, more so than would be expected for a Deputy Master. A well respected member of the society, he owned the first motor car in Calcutta, and later built his own aero plane. He declined the offer of a two year contract as Master of the Pakistan Mint and retired in 1948 to Kent after a lifetime of service in the sub-continent.
The State Bank on Pakistan was inaugurated on 01st July 1948. At the same time British Indian coins were replaced with newly designed coin bearing the name "Government of Pakistan".
 
The below coins came by surprise to me that a Mint which is producing coins for West Pakistan (modern day Pakistan having an area of 880,940 kmē) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh having an area of 143,998 kmē) is having a different design / alternative coins used in their small canteen in 1950s to 1970s. The reason on minting Pakistan Mint Canteen coins seems probably or the first thing that comes / clicks in our mind in that the mint authorities were trying to avoid people from stealing Pakistani coins stocked, stored or freshly prepared from the mint. Therefore alternative coins were produced for them for their usage in the mint canteen. These employee might also be frequently checked with metal detection devices to avoid theft as well. Anyhow some of these mint canteen coins manage to make their way out of the Pakistan Mint to collectors.
 
Currency: Rupee = 16 Annas = 64 Pice = 192 Pie (1947-1960).
 

Anna. Year: ND. Weight: 4.00g. Metal: Copper-Nickel. Diameter: 19.50 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: "ایک آنہ" (One Anna) separate by numeral "1". "ANNA" written below it. Reverse: "PAKISTAN MINT" written at the top section. Crescent and Star in the center. "CANTEEN" written below it. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A.

Rupee. Year: ND. Weight: 12.36g. Metal: Brass. Diameter: 30.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: "ایک روپیہ" (One Rupee) separate by numeral "1". "RUPEE" written below it. Reverse: "PAKISTAN MINT" written at the top section. Crescent and Star in the center. "CANTEEN" written below it. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A.

Rupee. Year: ND. Weight: 10.96g. Metal: Brass. Diameter: 30.50 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: "ایک روپیہ" (One Rupee) separate by numeral "1". "RUPEE" written below it. Reverse: "PAKISTAN MINT" written at the top section. Crescent and Star in the center. "CANTEEN" written below it. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A.

Note: The word "CANTEEN" is closer to the above alphabets P on the left side and T on the right side. The legends on the reverse side are thin.

Same as above coin, but has large and thick legends on the reverse side. This coin also has reduced thickness. Weight: 9.37g.

Rupee. Year: ND. Weight: 10.44g. Metal: Brass. Diameter: 30.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: "ایک روپیہ" (One Rupee) separate by numeral "1". "RUPEE" written below it. Reverse: "PAKISTAN MINT" written at the top section. Crescent and Star in the center. "CANTEEN" written below it. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A.

Note: The legends on the Obverse side (Value side) are thick. This coin has a batman engraved mark below the word "T" in CANTEEN.
 
 
Currency: Rupee = 100 Paisa (1961-date).
 

.02 (2 paisa). Year: ND. Weight: 1.71g. Metal: Copper-Nickel. Diameter: 14.50 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: ".02" (2 paisa) written in the center. Reverse: "P.M." (Pakistan Mint) written at the top line, followed by "CANTEEN" as middle line and "TOKEN" written as the bottom line. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A.

.05 (5 paisa). Year: ND. Weight: 2.70g. Metal: Copper-Nickel. Diameter: 17.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: ".10" (10 paisa) written in the center. Reverse: "P.M." (Pakistan Mint) written at the top line, followed by "CANTEEN" as middle line and "TOKEN" written as the bottom line. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A.

Note: This coin has a small diamond below the word "TOKEN".

.10 (10 paisa). Year: ND. Weight: 3.65g. Metal: Copper-Nickel. Diameter: 19.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: ".10" (10 paisa) written in the center. Reverse: "P.M." (Pakistan Mint) written at the top line, followed by "CANTEEN" as middle line and "TOKEN" written as the bottom line. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A.

.20 (20 paisa). Year: ND. Weight: 3.84g. Metal: Copper-Nickel. Diameter: 21.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: ".20" (20 paisa) written in the center. Reverse: "P.M." (Pakistan Mint) written at the top line, followed by "CANTEEN" as middle line and "TOKEN" written as the bottom line. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A.

Note: This coin has a batman engraved mark below the word "TOKEN".

Rupee. Year: ND. Weight: 3.59g. Metal: Aluminum. Diameter: 29.75 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: "ایک روپیہ" (One Rupee) separate by numeral "1". "RUPEE" written below it. Reverse: "PAKISTAN MINT" written at the top section. Crescent and Star in the center. "CANTEEN" written below it. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A.

Rupee. Year: ND. Weight: 3.95g. Metal: Aluminum. Diameter: 28.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: "ایک روپیہ" (One Rupee) separate by numeral "1". "RUPEE" written below it. Reverse: "PAKISTAN MINT" written at the top section. Crescent and Star in the center. "CANTEEN" written below it. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A. This coin has thickness 3.00 mm.

Five Rupee. Year: ND. Weight: 4.79g. Metal: Aluminum. Diameter: 30.00 mm. Edge: Plain. Alignment: Medal. Mint: Lahore. Obverse: "پانچ روپیہ" (Five Rupee) separate by numeral "5". "RUPEES" written below it. Reverse: "PAKISTAN MINT" written at the top section. Crescent and Star in the center. "CANTEEN" written below it. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: N/A. This coin has thickness 2.50 mm.
 
I got my 1 Anna (1/16 Rupee) ND Copper-Nickel coin from Haroon Tareen, 1 Rupee ND Brass (10.96g and 9.37g) coins from Dawar Ali Shah. .10 (10 paisa) ND Copper-Nickel coin from Khalid Akhtar. Remaining coins were purchased from Mohammad Azeem Khan.
According to my information, Pakistan Mint has also produced coins for Saudi Arabia under King Saud and King Faisal reigns.
List of Pakistan 1948 coins, mostly minted at Lahore are listed below: http://www.chiefacoins.com/Database/Countries/Muhammad_Ali_Jinnah.htm. Continue on this link for further Pakistan coinage to date.
 
 
Micro-Nations
 
Chiefa Coins