Pastor uses Rs10 coins worth Rs1.23 lakh to buy 2-wheeler
A pastor from Telangana bought a two-wheeler using 12,300 ten-rupee coins. He made the Rs 1,23,000 payment exactly at 10:10:10 am on the 10th day of the 10th month this year.
Ravi Joseph, a pastor from Luxettipet village in Mancherial district, Telangana, has been saving Rs 10 coins in a box from the leftover change after buying vegetables, groceries, bus tickets and other items. He started saving the coins in 2023 after shopkeepers, vendors, refused to accept them.
Joseph told The Pioneer that around four or five years ago, people were not used to accepting Rs 10 coins, believing they were not valid. “So, I started saving the Rs 10 coins around three years back, mostly from the leftover change after buying vegetables and groceries and from bus conductors when buying tickets. Even elderly villagers handed him a few coins which they could not pass on,” he said.
His family was not convinced about saving Rs 10 coins, as they would be in trouble spending them later. However, Joseph went ahead with the thought that he would deposit them in the bank if nobody accepted them. Sometimes, I was tempted to spend Rs 1,000 from the savings, but I did not as I knew I couldn’t put the coins back once if I took them out, so I didn’t touch a single one, Joseph recalled.
When the box was finally opened, Joseph guessed it would contain about Rs 50,000, but the total savings amounted to about Rs 1.45 lakh. Joseph and his family decided to buy a new two-wheeler with the Rs 10 coins.
Ganesh, owner of the Jagadamba Honda showroom, said Joseph first visited about 15 days before the purchase and explained how he had saved leftover change for three years. “On the booking day, he paid Rs 10,000 using 1,000 coins. Joseph also told the showroom exactly when he would return to collect the vehicle and asked for a number plate with the 10 series,” he added.
On the day of purchase, Joseph arrived with bags of coins bundled into packets, each consisting of Rs 1,000. He paid the remaining Rs 1,13,000 for the Activa 125cc with 11,300 ten-rupee coins.
“Nine people took more than three hours to count them. Even though counting was a risk, we accepted them. No one in Mancherial district had bought a vehicle with coins before,” Ganesh added.
Joseph still has Rs 20,000 in ten-rupee coins. He plans to repeat the saving process twice more, then combine the savings to buy something, perhaps gold, or to pay for his daughter’s wedding.
