The NDA Government has released a Rs.200 commemorative coin and a Rs.10 circulation coin on the occasion of the Martyrdom day of Tatya Tope, one of the outstanding Indian leaders of the 1857 revolt against the British. Union Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mahesh Sharma issued the coins.

About Tatya Tope

• Ramachandra Pandurang Tope (1814 – 18 April 1859) was one of its notable generals of the 1857 revolt.
• He is better known by his nickname Tatya Tope, which is also transliterated as Tantya Tope or Tantia Topi.
• A personal adherent of Nana Sahib of Bithur, he progressed with the Gwalior contingent after the British reoccupied Cawnpore and forced General Windham to retreat from the city. Later on, he came to the relief of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and with her seized the city of Gwalior.
• However, he was defeated by General Napier’s British Indian troops at Ranod and after a further defeat at Sikar abandoned the campaign. He was executed by the British Government at Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh) on April 18 1859.