Interesting Antique Indian Coins from the Colonial Era worth Collecting!

Antique coins of India were issued by various European powers like the Dutch East India Company, Danish East India Company, French East India Company, British East India Company and Portugal during the colonial period. Apart from that, The British East India Company also issued separate antique Indian coins of Madras Presidency, Bombay Presidency and Bengal presidency. Let’s take a look at some rare and interesting colonial coins of India.

Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company issued Gold coins of the denomination Pagoda from 1747 to 1784.These coins were Die Struck featuring a degenerated Vishnu on the obverse and a granulated reverse. This is one of the rare coins in India that were issued during the colonial period.

Danish East India Company
The Danish East India Company issued copper coins of the denomination Royalin under the regime of Christian VII in the year 1780. These beautiful antique Indian coins were Die Struck featuring the crowned C7 monogram on the obverse while the denomination, date and arms lion in between on the reverse.

French East India Company
The French East India Company issued silver rupee coins under the regime of Alamgir II in 1170s AH. These Coins were die-struck at Arkat mint featuring the inscription Alamgir in Persian on the obverse. There are many other rare coins in India that were issued by the French East India Company.

British East India Company
The British East India Company issued Gold coins of the denomination two Mohurs under the regime of Queen Victoria. These 11.66 grams coin had a diameter of 32.5 millimetres and were die-struck at Calcutta mint in the year 1854.  These Extremely Rare coins in India were struck as Proof coins with a plain edge and were not struck as currency. The obverse features the bust of the Queen facing left along with the inscription VICTORIA QUEEN 1854, within a raised, toothed rim. The Reverse depicts a standing lion with a palm tree above. Other inscriptions include EAST INDIA COMPANY, the denomination in English and Persian, all within a raised, toothed rim.

East India Company
The East India Company issued copper Cash coins for the Madras Presidency in the year 1740. These coins were die-struck at Fort St. David. The obverse featured the legend Sri in Tamil while the reverse depicted the text Kumpini (Company) in Tamil.

Look for these amazing rare coins of India and make your collection more vibrant.

4 Amazing Coins of India form 4 Different Eras

There is something about Coins of India that make them extremely desirable among numismatists and coin collectors form all over the world. Each of these beautiful Indian coins has a lot of historical significance. They also share a lot of information about the traditions and cultures followed during a particular era. Based on time period, Indian coins can be classified into four main categories namely, ancient, medieval, colonial and modern. Let’s take a look at some of the most amazing coins of India belonging to each of these four categories.


Ancient Coins of India

Gandhara Janapada was one of the earliest Janapadas that existed from around 600 BC to 300 BC. The silver Shatamana coins issued by Gandhara Janapada are considered to the earliest coins of the world. These coins were rectangular in shape and weighed around 11.5 grams. The weighing standards were maintained by using rati seeds. These rare Indian coins featured designs only on one side. The other side depicted two six-petal flowers on the two ends of the elongated planchets. The design was imprinted on the planchet using the punch-mark process.

 Indian Coins of the Medieval Period

The Gold Hon coins that were issued during the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are extremely rare. These beautiful medieval India Coins were made out of 2.9 to 3.5 grams of gold. These coins were die-struck and featured Devanagri legends on both sides. The Devanagri legend on the obverse reads Shri Raja Shiva within row of dots.  The Devanagri legend on the reverse reads Chhatrapati within row of dots. Many auction houses around the world have sold this coin for a very good amount.

 Old Indian Coins from Colonial Era

The British East India Company had issued Gold coins of the denomination 1 Mohur featuring a portrait of Queen Victoria on the obverse. These extremely rare Indian coins issued in 1841 weighed around 11.66 grams and had a diameter of 26 millimetres.  These coins were die-struck at Calcutta Mint featuring the bust of Queen Victoria on the obverse and the continuous legend: VICTORIA QUEEN 1841, within a raised, toothed rim. The reverse depicted a standing lion facing left with a palm tree above. Other inscriptions included EAST INDIA COMPANY, ONE MOHUR and YEK ASHRAFI in Persian, within a raised, toothed rim.

 Republic India coins

The Government of India had issued a 50 Paise stainless steel coin in the year 2013 at Kolkata Mint. These Republic India coins are scarce and featured the emblem of India flanked by BHARAT in Devanagari and INDIA in roman on the obverse. The reverse depicted the denomination 50 PAISE in English as well as Devanagari. The word PAISE is also written in Roman. The year date 2013 is surrounded by flower scrolls. If you spot this Indian coin with no mint mark, you are lucky!

We have only talked about four Indian coins here. There are hundreds of other varieties to be explored!

Examples of Some Interesting Old Notes of India

We frequently use Indian notes for our day-to-day transactions, but we rarely take an effort to learn about the history of Indian notes. The earliest notes of India were issued by Bank of Bengal, bank of Madras and Bank of Bombay. They were circulated for Bengal presidency, Madras presidency and Bombay presidency respectively. Did you know that currency notes in India were issued in unique denominations like 16 rupees, 4 rupees, 250 rupees, 1 gold mohur, 25 rupees, 8 rupees and company 5 rupees by Bank of Bengal? Similarly Bank of Bombay had released old notes of India of the denomination 5000 rupees as well. Bank of Madras had issued rare notes of India of the denomination 15 rupees.

Uniface Indian notes featuring a portrait of Queen Victoria, of the denomination 20 rupees were issued on 10th June 1864 and were made of handmade white paper. It depicted a profile portrait of Queen Victoria in a floral wreath. Other texts included 'Government of India'; Serial numbers with prefix - One letter and two numerals; Denomination in words and numerals appeared in Bangla and Persian; the name of Sub-Circle was overprinted. The Watermark featured the text GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, denomination in words and numerals in a rectangle, signature of the finance member of legislative Council - Sir James Wilson, and that of the Governor General Lord canning.

The 5 rupees old Indian notes featuring King George V featured 8 Indian Languages on the language panel namely, Urdu, Kaithi, Bangla, Burmese, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Gujarati. The watermark consisted of a star with rays, 'Govt/Of' in two lines and 'India' in wavy lines and a flag on the right.

The pink coloured 2 rupees note featuring King George VI were produced using machine made paper and featured the signature of JB Taylor. The 100 rupees rare notes of India from the princely state of Hyderabad featured the Urdu text Sarkar-e-Ali' which means Government Currency Note. It also had two five digit serial numbers, Royal Coat of Arms, Denomination in words in Marathi, Telugu, O.S. Rs. ONE THOUSAND and Kannada. Promise text, EK HAZAR SICCA OSMANIA, Date panel, For the Government in Urdu, signature; denomination in numerals in Siyaq, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada and English.

There are many other interesting and historically significant currency notes in India. Once you start researching, you will surely fall in love with them.

Invest in Quality Coin Collecting Supplies if You Truly Love History

Historical coins always deserve to be treated in a special way. They are treasures that hold innumerable unknown mysteries. They are not just pieces of metals; they have witnessed a different Era that was unknown to us before the coin’s discovery. Human beings from a different era had used them for their daily transactions. How were their lives like, without the modern comforts and amenities of today’s times? Every answer points to the fact that it is our duty to preserve and protect these valuable artefacts. It is absolutely disheartening to meet collectors who are not too keen on storing their coins safely. It is better not to collect historical coins if you don’t want to take up the responsibility of safeguarding them. One must invest in coin collecting supplies wisely if he or she is serious about numismatics or the hobby of coin collecting. These coin accessories protect your coins from external elements like dust and moisture.

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It is not very difficult to find good quality coin collecting accessories. At least, it is not as difficult as putting together an impressive collection of rare coins. So why does any collector even have to think twice in this matter? Coin albums come in various sizes and shapes these days. They will surely help you segregate your collection in an organised manner. Coin capsules are made of tough plastic, which eliminates the chances producing unwanted scratches or abrasions on coins. Coin holders are made of cardboard with transparent plastic sheets on both sides, so that the obverse and reverse designs are clearly visible. Finally there are coin storage boxes which come with special kind of holders and slots to preserve rare or precious coins. Coin collecting supplies are easily available on various online portals as well. Coin accessories of well-known brands like Lighthouse last longer as they are made of high quality material. They are like one-time investments that you need to make even before you start collecting coins.

If you genuinely have any kind of respect or love for history, then you will make sure that you keep your coins safely in good quality coin collecting supplies. Even if you wish to sell your coins a few years down the line, you will have to maintain their condition by storing them in coin collecting accessories for good returns.

Varieties of Medieval Period Coins That You Might Not be Aware About!

When we talk about coin of medieval India in the field of numismatics, the ones issued by popular kings like Akbar, Shahjahan, Shivaji etc are more popular. However there are several other interesting medieval period coins of India that have a lot of historical significance. These unique medieval coins can make your collection even more interesting. Let’s take a look at some unique coins of medieval India today.

Medieval coins of India can be broadly classified into five groups namely, the once issued by various sultans, Mughal coinage, coins struck under independent kingdoms, coins issued by princely states and finally the ones issued by Hindu Kingdoms and empires. The Indian subcontinent was governed by various sultanates like Delhi Sultanate, Malwa Sultanate, Gujarat sultanate, Bengal sultanate, Deccan Sultanate etc. in the medieval times. Apart from them, Kashmir, Ahmadnagar, Madura etc. were also governed by different sultanates. Each of these sultanates issued different medieval period coins featuring various designs and inscriptions.

Then comes the coins of Medieval India struck under the Mughals. Powerful emperors like Akbar and Shahjahan issued various types of beautiful medieval coins which are sold at auction houses across the world even today for impressive amounts.

When it comes to independent kingdoms, medieval period coins issued under the Marathas, Ahom dynasty, Mysore, Vijayanagar Empire and Sikhs come into the picture. As a passionate collector, you can research about these varieties and add value to your collection of medieval coins.

Coins issued by Princely states fall under another huge category. You can consider collecting beautiful coins of Bhopal, Bhavnagar, Awadh, Bikaner, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Indore, Mysore, Travancore etc. You will be able to understand the unique cultures, traditions and languages of India through the study of these amazing coins of Medieval India.

Finally you can look for coins issued by Hindu Kingdoms and empires like Nolambas, Yadavas, Hoysalas, Eastern Gangas, Imperial Cholas, Vaghelas etc. 
All in all, if you thought that medieval coins are only about the ones issued by Mughals and Marathas, then you are totally wrong! You must look to expand your horizons as a collector and keep researching about the different varieties of Medieval Period coins. 

Banknote Accessories of Well-known Brands Can Make a Big Difference!

Do you have an interesting collection of rare banknotes or are you planning to pursue this hobby? If yes, then you must take care of your collectibles so that they do not come in contact with dust or moisture. When banknotes are exposed to these external elements, there are chances that they would lose its original colours. Apart from that, there are chances that they could get folded or torn. You should be aware that the condition of banknotes matters a lot when it comes to auctions. The market value of a particular rare banknote not only depends on uniqueness or rarity. You wouldn’t want the market value of your precious collection to start deteriorating with time. That’s the reason why, you should always store your banknotes in quality branded banknote accessories. They will ensure that your notes do not come in contact with moisture or dust of any kind.

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Banknote collecting supplies come in different varieties such as a Banknote album or banknote sleeves. There are various brands and companies which produce banknote accessories. The problem with local brands is that the quality of these products is very poor. I have personally read many reviews of people who have purchased a banknote collecting album of a local brand and have regretted their decision. Yes, it is true that banknote sleeves and banknote albums produced by better brands are costlier, but they are more durable as they are made of high quality material. What is the point when you have to buy new banknote collecting supplies every now and then? It is always better to go with trusted brands whose products will invariably last longer. You will also find a lot of options online. There is no need to visit a store; simply click a few buttons on your mobile phone and the product will be delivered at your door steps.

Collectors who take things lightly might have to repent later. Like they say “prevention is better than cure”, it is always advisable to buy quality banknote collecting supplies so that you can earn good profits in the long run. And like mentioned earlier, always look for the best brands.

Coins of India that Everyone Desire

 “Coins of India” is a topic that is discussed widely among numismatists all over the world. The reason why they are so popular is because of the historical stories that they hold. Based on the time period, these amazing Indian coins can be categorized into four major categories namely, Ancient, Medieval, Colonial and Modern. Let’s take a look at some examples from each category.
Gandhara Janapada existed from 600 BC to 300 BC. They issued rectangular-shaped punch-marked coins of the denomination 1 Shatamana. These coins of India were struck on around 11.5 grams of silver and featured two 6-petal flowers at both the ends. These coins are also considered as the oldest in the world.

Magadha Janapada existed from 600 BC to 550 BC. They issued silver coins of the denomination Vimshatika weighing somewhere around 5.5 grams. These punch-marked coins feature Six-armed symbol, Sun symbol and two abstract symbols on the reverse.  If you are looking for a rare Indian coin, then you could add one of these to your collection. The Kashi Janapada issued punch-marked silver coins of the denomination 5 Shanas between 600 BC and 525 BC. These rare Indian coins featured two abstract symbols and two flowers. 
When it comes to medieval period coins of India, you can look for octagonal-shaped Ahom coins issued under Jayadhvaja Simha. They were denominated as rupee and were struck in the year 1570.  The Obverse featured the text Sri Sri Hari Hara Charana Parayanasya while the Reverse depicted the text Sri Sri Svarga Naraya Nasya Sake 1570. These are extremely rare coins in India which are very difficult to find.
Then there is the round Hon gold coin issued under Shivaji Maharaj the great. The obverse features
This is just the beginning; there are several other amazing Indian coins that can make your collection out of this world!

the text Shri Raja Shiva while the reverse depicts the inscription Chhatrapati. Won’t it be an honour to own coins issued by one of the greatest warriors of Indian history? You can also search for beautiful coins from the Paramaras of Malwa dynasty issued under the ruler Udayaditya. This Gold Dinar weighed around 4.07. The obverse featured Goddess Lakshmi seated with cross legs. The reverse depicted the Nagari legend 'Srimad Gangeyyadeva'.

Tips to Build a Unique Collection of Currency Notes in India

Notaphilists are always on the lookout for ways in which their collection can be enhanced. If you are wondering how you can make your collection of Indian notes unique, then you can start by adding different varieties. For that, you would first have to understand the broad categories of currency notes in India. The history of Indian Notes starts with early banknotes that were issued by various presidencies established by East India Company. Then we have British India notes that were issued when our country was officially declared as a colony of England. You can also search for Colonial issues that were released by other European powers. Hyderabad had also issued separate currency notes which are termed as Princely state issues. Finally we have the republic notes of India which were issued after independence.

If you are into collecting rare notes of India then you can make it more exciting by adding examples from each of these categories. You could also later segregate your collection based on time period or category. Among early banknotes you could look for the beautiful Bank of Hindostan issue for Bengal presidency. The 20 rupees note was unifaced and featured Intricate red design over a black imprint on the borders. The year of issue is absent on these Indian notes made of handmade white paper. The oval vignette on the left features a personified Ganga, while that on the right features a mahout on an elephant. A watermark shows Ashoka Pillar on the left.

You can also seek the 10 rupees British India Note issued for the Calcutta circle on 9th May 1862. The uniface note featured the signature of H. Hydes and a prefix A. The note features a portrait of Queen Victoria in a floral wreath. Other important texts include 'Government of India'. Denomination is featured in both words and numerals in two languages namely, Bangla and Persian. The watermark includes the text GOVERNMENT OF INDIA in bold letters on top. These rare notes of India also feature the signature of the finance member of legislative Council - Sir james Wilson and that of the Governor General - Lord canning.

There are hundreds of other varieties when it comes to old notes of India. You will have to keep researching about these wonderful rare notes of India if you really want to build an impressive collection.

Disciplined Collectors Always Buy Quality Philatelic Supplies

There are many people, especially children who want to get into stamp collecting. It is truly an exciting hobby. But if you really want to become a good collector, you must be disciplined and must follow certain rules of philately. The first and foremost rule is that you must be passionate about the hobby. Don’t simply collect stamps just for the sake of it.  You must take some effort and research about the imagery shown on these stamps. You must enhance your knowledge as you keep enhancing your collection. A true collector loves his collection like crazy. He or she would ensure that their precious stamps are stored in good quality stamp collecting supplies. They can’t stand it when amateur collectors out there do not take care of their collection.

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So why is it so important to store stamps safely? If you are looking to invest in rare postage stamps then you should be aware that their value depends majorly on their condition. Stamps that are soiled, folded or torn would not fetch you a good stamp. If you are really expecting that the value of a particular stamp would appreciate with time then you should also store them in stamp collecting accessories like a stamp collection album, stamp stockbooks, stamp binders or stamp stockpages. The moment stamps are exposed to moisture or dust, there are chances that their true colours would fade away. Even if you are not looking to invest in rare postage stamps, why would you want your collection to become dull after a few years?

There is no doubt about the fact that stamp collecting is a fun hobby. But one must be also serious about how he or she pursues the hobby. If you really have a liking for the hobby then you must invest in good quality philatelic supplies right from the beginning. When you start respecting the hobby of collecting stamps, you will gain some respect in return. Put in some heart into it and you will love each and every process associated with this amazing hobby. If you keep the right mix of fun and discipline then you are destined to become a great collector!

Variety of Modern Indian Coins that Collectors can Seek

There is a general misconception among young coin collectors that there is not much to explore when it comes to modern coins of India. This is not at all true. There are various categories of modern Indian coins that collectors can look for. Let’s take a look at the two broad categories of modern period coins of India so that you get some kind of a reference point to start collecting.

Anna series and Republic of India Decimal Coinage are the two major categories that you should be aware about. Did you know that old British Coins were still circulated in Independent India after 15th August 1947 as well? These coins are termed as frozen currency. The first 1 rupee coin was minted in 1950 after the constitution was formed. Modern India coins like 1/2 Re, 1/4 Re, 2 Anna, 1 Anna, 1/2 Anna & 1 Pice coins fall under the Anna series. 1 pice coins issued in 1950 were struck in bronze and featured a galloping horse on the reverse.

The decimal system for Indian coins was introduced in 1957. However, both decimal and non-decimal coins were circulated together for a short period of time. Modern coins of India that were minted between 1957 and 1964 featured the legend “Naya Paise”. Denominations like 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50 naya paise were circulated. This legend was discontinued in 1964. 5 paise coins that were issued in 1976 were made of aluminium and was square shaped.

Certain experiments were also made like 3 paise and 20 paise coins. However, they were not popular. 1, 2 and 3 paise coins were slowly removed from circulation in 1970s. Did you know that 2 rupee coins were introduced in 1982 to replace 2 Rs. Notes? These coins were only minted again in 1990.

Modern Indian coins made of stainless steel bearing denominations 10, 25 and 50 paise were introduced in 1988. A new lighter rupee stainless steel coin was minted in 1992. In the same year 5 Rupees Cupronickel coin was also released in 1992 while 10 rupees were released in 2005.

Apart from these, there is a wide range of commemorative modern Indian coins that collectors can look out for!

When you’re collecting Coins of India, Study the Evolution of Coinage

Everybody loves collecting coins of India but many of them do not really know how coinage evolved over the years in the Indian subcontinent. If you are a true numismatist, you will take some efforts to understand this aspect about Indian coins. It all started when cowrie shells and beads were used for transactions. Barter system was prevalent before coinage was invented. Barter had its own problems related to evaluating commodities. There was a need for a uniform system that could value all kinds of items for transactions. It is believed that the first coins of India were punchmarked Shatmana coins. They were struck in silver and were rectangular in shape. They belong to Gandhara Janapada and were issued between 600 t0 300 BC.

There were many other Janapadas out there which used to issue coins of their own. These include Magadha, Magadha Mauryan, Ayodhya, Shakya, Kuntala, Kashi etc. You should consider yourself to be lucky if you have an Indian coin belonging to one of these Janapadas. Then there were great ancient empires like Western Kshatrapas, Guptas, Satavahanas etc which also issued some absolutely stunning Indian coins. Gold coins of Gupta period are sought after even today and are sold for great prices at auction houses all over the world.

When it comes to ancient and early medieval kingdoms, Central India, Malwa, Saurashtra, Vidarbha, Narmada valley are some of the prominent territories which issued unique coins in India. Ancient coins of South India is a completely different category altogether. The most famous among them are Pandyas, Banawasi, Pallavas, Chera etc. The Indian subcontinent was attacked by foreign invaders too since ancient times. They captured territories and started ruling over them. Indo-Greeks, Indo-Scythian and Kushan coins are also some of the most desired coins of India in the world of numismatics. Apart from mighty Kingdoms, there were independent city states as well like Mathura, Kolhapur, Ayodhya, Taxila etc. Each of these city states also produced unique Indian coins of their own.

We have only touched upon ancient coins as of now. There is a lot more to explore when it comes to medieval and modern coins of India. You will start falling in love with all of them when you start studying about the evolution of Indian coinage. 

Why Your Priceless Postcards Deserve Quality Postcard Collecting Supplies

Bored of your daily routine? Looking to indulge in a new hobby? Try Postcard collecting and you will surely fall in love with it almost immediately. So what if our practical lives don’t allow us to travel across the world, through the hobby of collecting postcards, you can do just that by not travelling too far. Postcards come in various sizes and shapes. They generally have pictures which are symbolic to a particular place or tradition. If you are not able to buy too many postcards when you are travelling, you can ask your friends staying in different corners of the world to get some when they visit you. Doesn’t really matter which technique you adopt, as long as you keep collecting postcards with different unique designs, you will surely have something to look forward to. Don’t forget to buy some quality postcard collecting supplies so that your collection stays as fresh as ever.

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Some things in life cannot be weighed on money. For a passionate collector like me, postcards fall into that category of things. I make it a point that I store my collection of postcards in quality postcard accessories not matter what. There are two advantages of arranging your treasure in a postcard storage album. One is that you will be more organised as a collector and the second of course is that your postcards will not come in contact with moisture or dust. Apart from that, there are fewer chances of losing your favourite postcards when you arrange them nicely in postcard accessories like a postcard album, postcard plastic pockets or postcard plastic sleeves. As you slowly start growing your collection, you can simultaneously start making some pen friends from different parts of the world. This will enhance your collection even more. These days it is very easy to take printouts and make postcards. But there is absolutely no fun in doing that. I don’t mind waiting for months to add a new original postcard to my postcard storage album, but I will never make fake postcards.
 
You just have one life to live. Do something enjoyable. Start collecting postcards and you will realise the joy of owning something personal and priceless at the same time. 

Old notes of India – Categories and Tips All at One Go

If you’ve just started collecting old notes of India then you’ll have to do some research that will help you build a better collection. For that, you will first have to understand the various categories of Indian banknotes. Currency notes of India can be broadly classified as Early bank Notes, British India issues, banknotes issued by Princely State, Colonial issues and notes issued by Republic of India.

Early banknotes can be further classified based on three presidencies that were created by the East India Company for the sake of better administration. Each presidency, namely Bengal, Bombay and Madras issued notes of their own which were circulated only within a particular region.

British India notes can be further differentiated based on the rulers under which the notes were issued. Firstly, came the Portrait Note of Queen Victoria, then Uniface Notes were issued by Government of India, then the notes were produced depicting King George V and finally notes depicting King George VI were issued.

Osmania notes of Hyderabad were the only rare notes of India that were issued by a Princely state.
Then we had other colonial issues apart from those released by British India. These beautiful notes of India include the Indo-French issues and Indo-Portuguese issues.

Finally, we have the currency notes in India that were released after independence. They can be split into four categories namely Government of India notes, Reserve Bank of India notes, Persian Gulf issues and Haj Pilgrim issues.

Apart from these categories, there are collectors who are only interested in special serial numbers. These serial numbers could be read as birth dates or could have repeated digits. Some numbers are considered to be lucky as well.

Last but not the least, no matter which kind of banknotes you are interested in collecting, condition is of utmost importance. Even a small fold or tear can ruin the market value of rare Indian banknotes. Always store your precious collectibles safely in banknote albums or pouches so that they don’t get folded or torn. So now that you are aware about the various categories of Indian Notes, you can look forward towards building a unique and interesting collection!