Journey of Old Notes of India through Interesting Examples

The journey of Indian notes has been very fascinating right from early banknotes of India to republic of India notes. When you study and analyse this journey, you would be surprised to discover several unknown aspects about Indian currency, history and economics. Let us Understand the History of Indian Notes today by looking at certain interesting examples.

Early Banknotes of India

Bank of Bengal, Bank of Bombay and Bank of Madras issued early banknotes of India for Bengal presidency, Bombay presidency and Madras Presidency respectively.

These 10 rupees rare notes of India issued by Bank of Bengal featured a personified 'Commerce' sitting on articles of merchandise. The obverse featured the text 'Bank of Bengal' in Bangla, Persian and Hindi in a vertical ornate panel. Other inscriptions include the manuscript's serial number, manuscript date, promise text with denomination; 'Entered by' manuscript signature; denomination panel and the denomination in words.  The reverse featured the text 'Bengal Bank'; printer's name and type of plate used for printing while the watermark depicted the Ashokan Pillar.

British India Notes

British India notes can be further classified as portrait note of Queen Victoria, Uniface notes of Government of India, King George V issues and King George VI issues.

This uniface 10 rupees note of Queen Victoria was issued for the Calcutta circle on 9th May 1862. The obverse featured a portrait of Queen Victoria. Other inscriptions include the texts 'Government of India'; Serial numbers with prefix, the promise text; Denomination in words in Bangla and Persian; mirrored dates; Denomination in numerals in Persian and Bangla; 'For The Government Of India; Denomination panel in numerals and words. The name of Sub-Circle is overprinted. The signature on these old notes of India was hand stamped at the time of issue. The watermark featured the text GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, denomination in words and numerals, signature of the finance member of legislative Council - Sir james Wilson, the signature of the Governor General Lord Canning and wavy lines in central promise text panel.

So far, we have only looked at two examples from two different categories of Indian Banknotes. Apart from these types, there are princely state issues, colonial notes of India and the Republic India notes as well. Keep upgrading your knowledge as and when you keep adding new banknotes of India to your collection.


 

Protect Stamps in Stamp Collecting Accessories to Revive Philately

Stamp collection is a fun hobby that excites people from all generations. Young or old, collectors find joy in learning about various kinds of postage stamps from around the world. The hobby gives you a deep insight about the various traditions and cultures that are followed in different countries. However, with the advent of technology, stamp collection has slowly lost its popularity as nobody writes letters these days. There is a need to revive the hobby among the younger generation so that they increase their general knowledge about the world. Many collectors do not take any effort in preserving postage stamps. If the hobby has to thrive, existing collectors need to know the importance of storing their valuable stamps in quality stamp collecting accessories. 

Image Courtesy: www.mintageworld.com

Types of stamp collecting supplies:

When you go shopping to buy philatelic supplies, it is very important to know about the different types of stamp collecting accessories that are available in the market. A stamp collection album allows collectors to classify stamps based on different themes and countries. You can also buy stamp stock pages separately if your collection is growing. These stock pages can be later added to stamp stockbooks as well. These stamp collecting supplies not only make viewing more convenient but also keep stamps away from any kind of moisture or dust. Same is the case with stamp binders which allow you to easily update tour collection.

Quality matters:

Quality of your stamp collecting accessories is very crucial. Philatelic supplies manufactured by local brands do not last long as they are made of poor quality material. It is very risky to store your valuable stamps in such kind of stamp collecting supplies as your collection might not be completely protected. Stamp binders and stamp albums produced by well-known brands such as Lighthouse are ideal as there is no kind of compromise on the Quality front. Once you store your stamps in these stamp collecting supplies, you can be sure that they would never lose their original charm.

If you really want the hobby to become more popular, you must encourage your friends and relatives to start collecting postage stamps. At the same time, you must not forget to take care of your own collection by storing it safely in world-class stamp collecting accessories! Consider the hobby to be a legacy which needs to be continued.

Medieval Period Coins of Sultans and Mughals

Coins of medieval India come in different varieties. If you understand their categories, you would be able to build an interesting and unique collection for sure. Medieval period coins of India can be divided into four main categories namely, coins of sultans, Mughal coinage, coins issued by Princely sates and the ones that were authorised by Hindu kingdoms. Let’s take a look at some medieval coins from the first two categories.

Indian Sultanates

The Ghori kings ruled certain parts of north India and Delhi from 1103 to 1206. The Mamluk or Slave Dynasty overtook the regime from 1206 to 1290, after which the Khaljis ruled Delhi from 1290 to 1320. The Khiljis were followed by Tughluq Dynasty who ruled from 1320 to 1414. Then came the Sayyid dynasty who ruled Delhi from 1414 to 1451. The Lodi Dynasty ruled Delhi from 1451 to 1526 while the Suris took over the regime from 1538 to 1554. There were different sultanates in different territories as well like Jaunpur, Malwa, Sindh, Kashmir, Ahmednagar, Deccan region, Bengal, Madura, Gujarat Sultan and Kalpi.

These Billon medieval period coins were struck under the regime of Muhammad Bin Sam and carried the denomination Jital. It weighs around 3.5 grams and has a diameter of 15mm. These coins followed the Anno Hijri calendar system and were die struck. These commonly found coins followed the theme of a horse, horseman and an Arabic legend. The obverse features the Arabic inscription Al-Sultan Al-Azam Muhammad Bin Sam while the reverse depicts a Horseman to the right.

Mughal coinage

The Mughals ruled different parts of India from 1526 to 1540 and then later from 1555 to 1857. Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb were some of the greatest rulers of the Mughal empire. Out of them, medieval coins of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan are extremely popular all over the world.

This beautiful gold mohur of Akbar weighed around 10.8 to 10.9 grams and had a diameter of 21 to 26 millimetres. This is a Kalima type coin which dated 978 as per the Anno Hijri calendar. They were Die Struck at Agra Mint and featured name and title of Akbar, Date between two parallel lines, Mint name, and the text Khallad allah mulkahu on the obverse. The reverse featured the Kalima within ornamented quarter-foil with looped corners and name of four caliphs around.

We have only talked about a few coins of medieval India here. There are several others which you can explore to build an impressive collection of medieval period coins.

Be Careful When You Buy currency Notes Online

Internet and the World Wide Web have become very important parts of our lives. From booking train tickets and hotels to shopping, gaming, networking and more, we have come to a point where we can’t imagine life without internet. The field of Notaphily has evolved over the years with the advent of technology. Gone are the days when collectors had to make small groups and meet up every weekend to discuss about their hobby. Today, every collector can upload pictures of their interesting collections online and look for buyers as well. You can also reach out to experts for resolving your doubts or queries. The best part is that you can now easily buy currency notes online and build your collection in an impressive fashion. However, there are some issues when you go with any random website that offer world currency notes for sale. Let’s take a look at some of them today.

Authenticity
The problem with selecting a any website that offers old note collections for sale is that you cannot be hundred percent sure whether the website is authentic. Many of these websites sell fake notes while several others list notes with a higher value. Before you buy currency notes online, it is always good to take an opinion form an expert. They might be able to evaluate a note by looking at the picture and tell you its exact market value.

Amateur collectors
We often find amateur collectors who get excited when they find an interesting banknote. They share pictures on the internet enthusiastically without doing their research. You shouldn’t believe these collectors at the first instance when they offer banknotes for sale. You must do your research and find out whether the note is rare or in good condition. 
When you buy banknotes online, you get to choose from a wider range of options. You can also check out reviews of these dealers or websites before taking that final decision. There are many trusted websites like Mintage World which offers different types of amazing world currency notes for sale at reasonable rates. It is much better to buy banknotes online from these websites rather than buying them from eBay or any other random website.

Why Banknote Accessories Bring a Sense of Calm Among Collectors

Do you collect interesting banknotes? If yes then let me go ahead and ask you another dreaded question. Have you ever folded or torn any of your favourite banknotes accidentally? Skipped a beat already? I really didn’t mean to scare you and can totally understand your reason for being anxious. No collector on earth would want their precious collection to be spoilt. But if you really think that your collection is priceless then nothing should stop you from buying good quality banknote accessories. They are your only saviours really. What’s the point it putting so much effort and then spoiling it all at the end! If you truly love your hobby then you will also take appropriate measures to ensure that your collection of banknotes stays away from any kind of dust or moisture. You will also see to it that they do not get folded or torn.

Image Courtesy: www.mintageworld.com

It is in-fact a thumb rule for every collector that they should invest in quality banknote collecting supplies like a banknote collection album or banknote sleeves. Unless you store your valued notes in a banknote album, there are chances that you might misplace them somewhere. Apart from that, you will not be able to arrange them based on different categories. Finding a particular banknote can be very time-consuming when you don’t keep them in banknote collecting supplies. Organised and disciplined collectors will not only buy banknote accessories like a banknote album but will also have an index using which he or she can quickly spot a particular note form their own collection. You won’t have to maintain an index if your collection is small or fairly manageable.

You might be aware that the condition of your banknotes is the most crucial factor when you are trying to sell them back again. The market value of banknotes depends a lot on their condition. Even if you have a rare note but it’s not in a great condition, you might not get the desired amount. For those who are considering this hobby as an investment, buying a good quality banknote album is a must. So go online and buy banknote sleeves and other important banknote accessories so that you are always safe and happy!

How modern-day collectors are benefitted from an online museum of coins

Museum is a place where you physically get to see ancient relics and artefacts. A lot of effort goes into restoration and maintenance of these priceless objects from out past. Historians, students and researchers gain a lot of knowledge and information by visiting these museums. Coins, banknotes and postage stamps can also talk a lot about our history. Aspects like religion, culture and traditions can be analyzed through the study of these items of currency. There are very few museums in the world that are dedicated to coins, banknotes and postage stamps. Many-a-times, researchers and collectors find it very difficult to gather information. There are numerous websites that provide information about coins, notes and stamps, but most of them are unorganized. Moreover, you cannot be sure if the information is coming from an authentic source. Mintage World is the best online museum of coins, banknote museum and stamp museum where you will find all the information that you are looking for in a systematic manner.

 The best part is that all the data about coins, notes and postage stamps is classified into different groups based on time periods. Browsing through the website becomes absolutely easy by following these categories. The online museum of coins presents vital statistics about coins like mint name, obverse/reverse descriptions, high resolution images, year of issue, dynasty, ruler name etc. The banknote museum presents information about national and international currency in a similar manner. The stamp museum has a wide array of postage stamps of India that were issued before and after independence too. Another important feature in this online museum of coins is the filter functionality. You can simplify your searches based on filters like metal type, dynasty name, ruler name, time period, year of issue etc. Similar kinds of filters are present in the banknote museum and stamp museum as well.

There are very few websites that lists so much information in an organized way. You will definitely have to refer different websites to learn about coins, notes and stamps. Mintage World is the first and the only online platform that caters to all three fields of numismatics, notaphily and philately. So, make the most of it!