The era of the 25-paise coin has come to an end. Those of us who have long cherished its old-world charm will be left only with fond memories. In its heyday, it enjoyed considerable worth. I remember how, in my school days, I used to pick up a 25-paise coin from among other coins on my father's table to buy candies, ice-creams and new slate pencils. No breakfast at home meant an allowance of naalu ana which could buy five dosas at the village shop. It had other uses — it could buy a cinema ticket, it covered the bus fare to a town (the conductor returned the change of five paise if the fare was 20 paise) and served as a generous offering to beggars. Much earlier, it was also a day's wages and could buy one-fourth sack of rice. Inflation has rendered 25 paise valueless and a relic from the past.
G. David Milton, Maruthancode (The Hindu)
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