Bholu Elephant Railway Mascot & Ashoka Lion Capitol 2 Rupees India Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry and Craft Making

Bholu Elephant Railway Mascot & Ashoka Lion Capitol 2 Rupees India Authentic Coin Charm for Jewelry and Craft Making

Commemorative issue: 150 Years of Indian Railways

Obverse: Ashoka Lion pedestal, denomination below
Lettering:
भारत INDIA
सत्यमेव जयते
रुपये 2 RUPEES

Reverse: Portrait of Bholu, The guard (symbol/mascot of Indian railways)

Lettering: Railways रेलवे
Bholu, The Guard
150 Glorious Years 2003 150 गौरवपूर्ण वर्ष

Features
Issuer India
Period Republic (1950-date)
Type Circulating commemorative coin
Year 2003
Value 2 Rupees
2 INR = 0.027 USD
Currency Rupee (decimalized, 1957-date)
Composition Copper-nickel
Weight 6.05 g
Diameter 26.5 mm
Thickness 1.46 mm
Shape Hendecagonal (11-sided)
Orientation Medal alignment ↑↑
Number N# 5470
References KM# 307

Wikipedia:
Bholu the Elephant is the mascot of Indian Railways, represented as a cartoon of an elephant holding a signal lamp with a green ring in one hand. It was initially designed for the Indian Railways' 150th anniversary commemoration events and was unveiled on 16 April 2002 in Bangalore. In 2003, Indian Railways decided to permanently retain Bholu as its official mascot. The Bholu icon was placed on the back side of an Indian coin.

Background and Development
Railways were introduced in India on 16 April 1853, with a line from Bombay to Thane. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the event, Indian Railways planned a series of events in 2002–2003 which included the launching of a mascot. Bholu was designed by the National Institute of Design in consultation with the Indian Ministry of Railways and was unveiled on 16 April 2002 in Bangalore. On that day, Bholu flagged off the Karnataka Express at 6.25 pm from platform number 1 of the Bangalore city station. According to the Indian Government (Railway Board)'s Manual for Public Relations Department (2007), Bholu was designated for official use effective 15 April 2002. Later, on 24 March 2003, they decided to retain Bholu as the official mascot of Indian Railways.

Popularity
The mascot became very popular in India. When asked for their opinion on Bholu, Indian Railway officials said that Bholu is friendly and helpful. An Indian Government official release in 2003 described Bholu as an "ethical, responsible, sincere and cheerful icon". The green light in his hand symbolizes movement, the intention to travel with safety and positivism. In 2003 the Indian Government released a two-(₹) rupee coin which carried the impression of Bholu on its reverse side.

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Wikipedia:
The Lion Capital of Ashoka is a sculpture of four Asiatic lions standing back to back, on an elaborate base that includes other animals. A graphic representation of it was adopted as the official Emblem of India in 1950. It was originally placed on the top of the Ashoka pillar at the important Buddhist site of Sarnath by the Emperor Ashoka, in about 250 BCE during his rule over the Maurya Empire. The pillar, sometimes called the Aśoka Column, is still in its original location, but the Lion Capital is now in the Sarnath Museum, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Standing 2.15 metres (7 feet) high including the base, it is more elaborate than the other very similar surviving capitals of the pillars of Ashoka bearing the Edicts of Ashoka that were placed throughout India several of which feature single animals at the top; one other damaged group of four lions survives, at Sanchi.

The capital is carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, and was always a separate piece from the column itself. It features four Asiatic Lions standing back to back. They are mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull, and a lion, separated by intervening spoked chariot-wheels. The whole sits upon a bell-shaped lotus. The capital was originally crowned by a 'Wheel of Dharma' (Dharmachakra popularly known in India as the "Ashoka Chakra"), with 32 spokes, of which a few fragments were found on the site. A 13th-century replica of the Sarnath pillar and capital in Wat Umong near Chiang Mai, Thailand built by King Mangrai, preserves its crowning Ashoka Chakra or Dharmachakra. The wheel on the capital, below the lions, is the model for the one in the flag of India.jai hind