diff --git a/modules/swagger-core/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/core/util/AnnotationsUtils.java b/modules/swagger-core/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/core/util/AnnotationsUtils.java
index e331732722..82ce4e5c20 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-core/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/core/util/AnnotationsUtils.java
+++ b/modules/swagger-core/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/core/util/AnnotationsUtils.java
@@ -765,16 +765,24 @@ public static Optional<Schema> getSchemaFromAnnotation(
             schemaObject.setDefault(schema.defaultValue());
         }
         if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(schema.example())) {
-            try {
-                if (openapi31) {
-                    schemaObject.setExample(Json31.mapper().readTree(schema.example()));
-                } else {
-                    schemaObject.setExample(Json.mapper().readTree(schema.example()));
+            String exampleValue = schema.example().trim();
+
+            // Fix: Prevent numeric-starting example strings (e.g. "5 lacs per annum") from being parsed as numbers
+            if (exampleValue.matches("^[0-9].*") && !exampleValue.startsWith("\"")) {
+                schemaObject.setExample(exampleValue);
+            } else {
+                try {
+                    if (openapi31) {
+                        schemaObject.setExample(Json31.mapper().readTree(exampleValue));
+                    } else {
+                        schemaObject.setExample(Json.mapper().readTree(exampleValue));
+                    }
+                } catch (IOException e) {
+                    schemaObject.setExample(exampleValue);
                 }
-            } catch (IOException e) {
-                schemaObject.setExample(schema.example());
             }
         }
+
         if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(schema.format())) {
             schemaObject.setFormat(schema.format());
         }
diff --git a/modules/swagger-core/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/core/util/AnnotationsUtilsTest.java b/modules/swagger-core/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/core/util/AnnotationsUtilsTest.java
index 3b717062fc..6d17ed5f94 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-core/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/core/util/AnnotationsUtilsTest.java
+++ b/modules/swagger-core/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/core/util/AnnotationsUtilsTest.java
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 import io.swagger.v3.oas.models.media.Schema;
 import org.testng.annotations.DataProvider;
 import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+import java.lang.annotation.Annotation;
+import static org.testng.Assert.assertNotNull;
+
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.Serializable;
@@ -59,6 +62,7 @@ public void resolveSchemaFromType(Class<?> aClass, Map<String, Object> expected)
        assertEquals(schema.get$ref(), expected.get("$ref"));
     }
 
+
     @DataProvider
     private Object[][] expectedSchemaFromTypeAndFormat() {
         return new Object[][]{
@@ -96,6 +100,108 @@ private void emailType() {
     @ApiResponse(content = @Content(schema = @io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema(implementation = DummyClass.class)))
     private void dummyType() {
     }
+@Test
+    public void testExampleStartingWithNumberShouldBeString() throws Exception {
+        io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema annotation = new io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema() {
+            @Override
+            public Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType() {
+                return io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema.class;
+            }
+
+            @Override public String name() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String title() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String description() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String format() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String ref() { return ""; }
+            @Override public boolean nullable() { return false; }
+            @Override public boolean required() { return false; }
+            @Override public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema.AccessMode accessMode() { return io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema.AccessMode.AUTO; }
+            @Override public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema.RequiredMode requiredMode() { return io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema.RequiredMode.AUTO; }
+            @Override public String example() { return "5 lacs per annum"; }
+            @Override public Class<?> implementation() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public Class<?> not() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public Class<?>[] oneOf() { return new Class<?>[0]; }
+            @Override public Class<?>[] anyOf() { return new Class<?>[0]; }
+            @Override public Class<?>[] allOf() { return new Class<?>[0]; }
+
+            @Override public double multipleOf() { return 0; }
+            @Override public String maximum() { return ""; }
+            @Override public boolean exclusiveMaximum() { return false; }
+            @Override public String minimum() { return ""; }
+            @Override public boolean exclusiveMinimum() { return false; }
+            @Override public int maxLength() { return Integer.MAX_VALUE; }
+            @Override public int minLength() { return 0; }
+            @Override public String pattern() { return ""; }
+            @Override public int maxProperties() { return 0; }
+            @Override public int minProperties() { return 0; }
+
+            @Override public boolean hidden() { return false; }
+            @Override public boolean enumAsRef() { return false; }
+            @Override public boolean deprecated() { return false; }
+            @Override public boolean readOnly() { return false; }
+            @Override public boolean writeOnly() { return false; }
+            @Override public String type() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String defaultValue() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String discriminatorProperty() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String[] allowableValues() { return new String[0]; }
+
+            @Override public String[] requiredProperties() { return new String[0]; }
+
+            @Override public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema.SchemaResolution schemaResolution() { return io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema.SchemaResolution.DEFAULT; }
+            @Override public String _const() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String[] examples() { return new String[0]; }
+            @Override public Class<?> additionalPropertiesSchema() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public Class<?> unevaluatedProperties() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.StringToClassMapItem[] properties() { return new io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.StringToClassMapItem[0]; }
+            @Override public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.StringToClassMapItem[] patternProperties() { return new io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.StringToClassMapItem[0]; }
+            @Override public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.StringToClassMapItem[] dependentSchemas() { return new io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.StringToClassMapItem[0]; }
+            @Override public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.DependentRequired[] dependentRequiredMap() { return new io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.DependentRequired[0]; }
+            @Override public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema.AdditionalPropertiesValue additionalProperties() { return io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema.AdditionalPropertiesValue.FALSE; }
+            @Override public Class<?>[] exampleClasses() { return new Class<?>[0]; }
+            @Override public String $comment() { return ""; }
+            @Override public Class<?> then() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public Class<?> _else() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public Class<?> _if() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public Class<?> unevaluatedItems() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public Class<?> additionalItems() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public int minContains() { return 0; }
+            @Override public int maxContains() { return 0; }
+            @Override public Class<?> propertyNames() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public Class<?> contentSchema() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public String contentMediaType() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String contentEncoding() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String $dynamicRef() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String $dynamicAnchor() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String $vocabulary() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String $anchor() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String $schema() { return ""; }
+            @Override public String $id() { return ""; }
+            @Override public Class<?> contains() { return java.lang.Void.class; }
+            @Override public int exclusiveMinimumValue() { return 0; }
+            @Override public int exclusiveMaximumValue() { return 0; }
+            @Override public String[] types() { return new String[0]; }
+            @Override public Class<?>[] prefixItems() { return new Class<?>[0]; }
+            @Override public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.extensions.Extension[] extensions() { return new io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.extensions.Extension[0]; }
+            @Override public Class<?>[] subTypes() { return new Class<?>[0]; }
+            @Override public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.DiscriminatorMapping[] discriminatorMapping() { return new io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.DiscriminatorMapping[0]; }
+
+            @Override
+            public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.ExternalDocumentation externalDocs() {
+                return new io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.ExternalDocumentation() {
+                    @Override public Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType() { return io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.ExternalDocumentation.class; }
+                    @Override public String description() { return ""; }
+                    @Override public String url() { return ""; }
+                    @Override public io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.extensions.Extension[] extensions() { return new io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.extensions.Extension[0]; }
+                };
+            }
+        };
+
+        io.swagger.v3.oas.models.media.Schema<?> schema =
+                AnnotationsUtils.getSchemaFromAnnotation(annotation, null, null, false, null).get();
+
+        assertNotNull(schema);
+        assertEquals(schema.getExample(), "5 lacs per annum");
+    }
 
     class DummyClass implements Serializable {}