With reports that some uninformed persons are creating doubts about the genuineness of Rs. 10 coins in the minds of ordinary people including traders, shopkeepers etc., impeding the circulation of such coins in certain pockets of the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the Reserve Bank Of India has advised members of the public not to give credence to such rumours and to continue to accept these coins as legal tender in their transactions.
"The RBI puts into circulation coins minted by the Government of India. These coins have distinctive features. Coins in new denominations and new designs reflect various themes - economic, social and cultural - and are introduced from time to time to meet the transaction needs of the public. As coins remain in circulation for long periods, it is possible that coins of different designs and even shapes are circulating at the same time. One such change is introduction of the "rupee" symbol on coins in July 2011. So the new 10 rupee coins have the rupee symbol but the earlier ones of the same denomination are without the rupee symbol. However, both of them are legal tender and equally valid for transactions," the RBI said.