BANGALORE: When was the last time you used a 25-paise coin to buy anything? Come June 30, and you can save the 25-paise coin as a thing of the past, to tell your grandchildren about, like the anna that you never used. The government of India has decided to withdraw coins of 25 paise denomination and below from circulation with effect from June 30, 2011.This development wouldn't be a major piece of news for GenY. But, for the older crowd, and numismatists, it is the end of an era. Fifty-three year old P Rammurthy reminisces about the time when 25 paisa was very much in use: "I used to have 4 annas or 8 annas (25 paise or 50 paise) in my pocket in my college days and the bus fare was 10 paise."The RBI has instructed banks to arrange for the exchange of coins of denomination 25 paise and below. From June 30, the 50 paise coin will be the minimum legal tender.Disappointed with the move to withdraw the denominations, freedom fighter from the city HS Doreswamy says that the government is "to blame". "The government, just to raise the standard of living, has devalued this denomination when actually the common man wouldn't mind using the 25 paise as currency," he says. He remembers that around the year 1920, he would get two dozen bananas for `naakaani' or twenty-five paise and 16 seers of rice (around 14kg) for a meagre Re 1. Numismatists can now look forward to buying sets of these now defunct coins as a collector's item.The RBI has released a list of 45 banks that facilitate the exchange of 25 paise coins for valid currency of equal value. Coins will not be accepted for exchange in these banks post-June. Banks have been getting calls from people regarding confirmation of this exchange.K Raghavan, manager of Canara Bank at MG Road branch, has so far been witness to two such people approaching the bank to exchange their soon-to-be-extinct coins. "There is still time till the end of next month so we can expect many people coming in to exchange their currency," he says.From the way things are going, the 50 paise coin could be on the endangered coin list as people have a tendency to round up figures. Most people frown upon receiving or having to pay that extra half a rupee. There aren't many things that cost 50 paise either. After all, every other shop uses candies in lieu of 50 paise or even one rupee coins while returning change.