2016-01-04 Mon

Louis Braille was a French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for use by the blind or visually impaired. His system remains known worldwide simply as Braille.

As a result of a childhood accident he became blind in both the eyes. He excelled in his education and received scholarship to France's Royal Institute for Blind Youth. While he was still a student there, he began developing a system of tactile code that could allow blind people to read and write quickly and efficiently. Inspired by the military cryptography, Braille constructed a new method built specifically for the needs of the blind.

Louis Braille devoted his entire life bettering and perfecting the code. It was many longs years after his death that Braille’s revolutionary invention was adapted for use in languages worldwide.

Louis Braille is honoured on the INR 2 rupee coins and a commemorative INR 100 coin was issued in 2009 to celebrate his 200th Birth Anniversary.

Specific coin description:

Denomination : INR 100

Issue : 2009 (Commemorative)

Obverse : Ashoka lion pedestal and denomination

Legend : ‘Satyameva Jayate’ and ‘Rupee India’ (Devnagiri and Roman)

Reverse : Bust of Braille and ‘Braille’ written in Braille script.



Denomination : INR 2

Issue : 2009

Obverse : Asoka lion pedestal & denomination

Legend : ‘India,’ ‘Bharat,’ ‘Satyameva Jayate’,‘Rupee India’ (Devnagiri,Roman)

Reverse : Bust of Braille and ‘Braille’ written in Braille script.

USD 1 coin of USA and a German stamp of DDR 20 have also commemorated Louis Braille.