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An Anna ( Hindustani ''आना ānā'') was a Currency unit formerly used in India , equal to 1/16 Rupee . It was subdivided into 4 Paise or 12 Pies (thus there were 64 paise in a rupee and 192 pies). The term belonged to the Muslim monetary system. The Anna is not commonly used since India Decimalised its currency in 1957 .

Sometimes, 50 Paise is colloquially referred to as 8 Annas (''Atthanni'' in Hindi , and ''Ettu Anna'', pronounced "Ettna" in Tamil ) and 25 Paise as 4 Annas (''Chawanni'' in Hindi , and ''Naal Anna'', pronounced "Naalna" in Tamil ).

There was a coin of one anna, and also half-annas of copper and two-anna pieces of silver. The term anna is frequently used to express a fraction of 1/16. Thus an Anglo-Indian speaks of two annas of dark blood (an Octoroon ), a four-anna (quarter) crop, an eight-anna (half) gallop.

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