Buy ancient, rare coins for 100-20L at this expo

Bengaluru: Gandabherunda coins dating back 2600 years, Pagoda gold coins minted under Tipu Sultan’s rule, a handwritten letter from then Mysuru Maharaja, the entire collection of coins minted in Madras Presidency and a 2-rupee note autographed by Mahatma Gandhi. These are among the rare collectibles on display at this year’s edition of the National Numismatic Exhibition, which kicked off on Friday.

Hundreds of numismatics enthusiasts and researchers gathered at the venue of the three-day exhibition-cum- auction, where over 100 dealers are displaying and selling their collectibles. Dealers from countries like the US, France, the UK, Bangladesh and Switzerland have also set up information stalls. The collectibles can be bought for anything between Rs 100 and Rs 20 lakh.

“This year, for the first time, we are conducting special lectures and demonstrations for those interested in numismatics research. There’ll be a live demonstration of minting technology used for early Indian coins and a lecture on how to identify man-made errors and fancy numbers in paper money,” said Archie Maru, director, Marudhar Arts, which is in charge of organizing the exhibition every year.

A few enthusiasts, meanwhile, pointed out how the number of collectibles on display has dipped this year with most of the stalls being occupied by dealers auctioning items.

“Only one long table is dedicated to exhibits while all the other stalls are auctioning items,” said Subramanya, a numismatist from Hassan district, who has been collecting bank notes according to their prefixes for the past 20 years. Subramanya is also selling one of his collections at a starting bid price of Rs 20 lakh.

Murali Thantry, former vice-president of the Karnataka Numismatics Society, echoed the view. “In previous editions of the exhibition, there were just about 10 to 12 stalls for auctioning while a majority of the stalls would be occupied by exhibitors. Over the years, the influx of dealers has increased. In this year’s edition, a majority of the participants are dealers. Numismatics has now become a very lucrative hobby. It’s the only hobby where money buys money,” said Thantry.


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