Tracing history through Coins of Mahadji Shinde

Mahadji Shinde was a ruler of Gwalior State under the Maratha Empire. He was the one who was responsible for expanding Maratha power in North India after the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761. Coins of Mahadji Shinde are found in various types. One of the types of Mahadji Shinde coins is the silver rupee struck in the name of Shah Alam II struck at Gwalior Mint.

Mahadji Shinde was a lieutenant of the Peshwa. Madhavrao I, Nana Fadnavis and Mahadji Shinde helped greatly in reviving Maratha Power. Gwalior became the top state of Maratha Empire and had the biggest military power in India during Mahadji’s rule. He helped Shah Alam II restore the Mughals to Delhi in 1771.

Mahadji Shinde Coins are found in various fractions of rupee denomination as well. By studying these coins of Mahadji Shinde, you will get a clear idea about the economic condition of those times and also about his association with the Mughals. Coins of Mahadji Shinde were struck at Gwalior mint. Mahadji Shinde coins of the denomination 1 rupee weighed 11.25 gm, had a diameter or around 22 to 23 mm. The Legend on coins of Mahadji Shinde named Shah Alam. They also featured the AH date and mint name: Gwalior Fort.

 After overpowering the Jats of Mathura, he defeated the Pashtun Rohillas in Rohilkhand and captured Najibabad in 1772 and 1773. He was the biggest threat to the British during the First Anglo-Maratha War which ended with the Treaty of Salbai in 1782. The treaty allowed him to mediate between the Peshwa and the British. It recognized Sawai Madhavrao as the Peshwa and granted Raghunath Rao a pension. All his territories west of the Yamuna along with Ujjain were given back.

He later attacked Rajput states like Jodhpur and Jaipur. Sikh sardars of the cis-Sutlej region also paid tributes to him. Mahadji defeated the Nizam of Hyderabad’s army, after which the Nizams restricted itself in the Deccan region. He signed a peace treaty with Tipu Sultan in 1792. He later used his influence to protect Tipu Sultan in a treaty between the British, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and the Peshwa.

Mahadji Shinde history can be beautifully traced back through his coinage. That’s the reason why numismatics plays such a vital role in exploring the unknown facts hidden in the pages of history.

Why is there a Demand for Antique Coins of India?

Antique objects have a charm of their own. They are preserved over a period of several years and become even more attractive as they keep aging. There is huge group of people across the world which is very interested in collecting antique coins of India. They are in great demand in the world of numismatics because of their historical significance. Some of the rarest coins of India including rare coins of British India have been sold by auction houses for a lot of money. That’s the reason why antique Indian coins sometimes are collected for investment purposes. Businessmen and dealers buy these rare coins in India and sell them off after a few years when their value appreciates.

Rare coins of British India come under a wide category of colonial coins. Coins minted under the
Another important aspect about collecting antique Indian coins is the source of information. Make sure that you are not learning the wrong things by referring the wrong source of Information. Always take a second opinion from experts before purchasing the rarest coins of India.  Some of these experts have been in this field for several years which is why they would notice something in a coin which you might have not noticed. Even they would have committed mistakes during the starting years, which is why sharing knowledge with younger collectors develops goodwill within the community.
So it is time to start building your collection of antique Indian coins right away.

regime of France, Dutch, Portuguese rules also come under this category. If you want to start collecting antique Indian coins, then select a category of your choice and study about them deeply. Research is something that gives you an upper hand in this field of numismatics. When you are backed by knowledge, then you are sure that no dealer can ever fool you. Many a times the value of certain antique coins of India is increased on purpose even though they are not rare. If you have done your research about rare coins of British India, then you can you will never buy common coins at a higher value.

Why All Passionate notaphilists have Banknote Collecting Supplies handy!

If you really love something or someone you would take care of it/him/her with all your heart. You wouldn’t want that something or someone to get spoilt or fall ill for that matter. Be it a special gift that means more than a gift to you or your own family members, you would want to keep all of them close to your heart. Same is the case with a notaphilist or someone who loves collecting banknotes. They take a lot of effort in putting together a special collection of banknotes from scratch. Some of them take several years to find a banknote that they have been eagerly looking for. That’s the reason why they make it a point to store their rare notes in good quality banknote accessories.

These banknote accessories come in different sizes and shapes these days like a banknote collectors album, a banknote storage box or banknote sleeves. Depending on what your requirements are, you can select banknote collecting supplies of your choice! Also, you would find them all on the internet. There are several shopping portals where you can buy branded banknote collecting supplies at the best prize possible!

Image Courtesy: www.mintageworld.com

Banknote sleeves can protect your special banknotes from any kind of dust or moisture. This will maintain their condition for years to come. In fact protecting banknotes is as important as collecting them for every notaphilist. This will ensure that the value of your collectibles does not diminish with time. Rare and old banknotes that you buy today might fetch you an impressive amount in the future. That’s the reason why a banknote storage box will come in handy in the long run!

Another important thing to remember is that you should never fold your banknotes no matter how lengthy they are. You must keep then nice and straight in a good quality banknote collector’s album. Folded banknotes leave behind a mark at the centre forever, degrading its condition even further. 

If you are passionate about notaphily, then you would definitely take the necessary steps to keep your notes in top condition by storing them in quality banknote accessories!

There’s no Age for Collecting Stamps of India

I have been collecting stamps of India ever since I was 10 years old. From then on, there has been no looking back. There are many people who think that stamp collecting is a hobby for the kids. Those who have that opinion don’t know that there is a huge community of philatelists in the world who specialize in rare stamps of India. Many of these Indian rare stamps have been sold at international auction houses for lakhs of rupees. Apart from that, money is not everything in life. One has to be passionate about something that will keep him or her excited always.

What is the point in living each day just like yesterday. There has to be something unique that you learn every day. Indian stamps are my source to that uniqueness that I keep craving for. My collection of old Indian stamps is a window to some of the most fascinating aspects about our country’s history, traditions, nature, wildlife, flora, geography, landmarks, events, personalities and more.  

As technology is picking up at a very fast rate, writing letters has become a thing of the past. The

chances of finding kids of today’s generation indulging in a hobby like stamp collecting are very feeble. That’s the reason why it is our responsibility to introduce kids to the amazing world of Indian stamps. You can take them to the nearest post office and show them the latest stamps in India.

My kids too were not too keen in taking up this hobby even after I showed them my collection of old Indian stamps. But slowly, as I started narrating the stories behind these rare stamps of India, they became more and more curious to learn. I also lent them a few interesting Indian stamps from my own collection to start theirs. Today they meet their friends and discuss about old Indian stamps whenever they get some time. They also motivate their friends to indulge in stamp collecting.

So, if you really want to do it, you will find a way to do it! Doesn’t matter what the society thinks about you. Keep listening to your heart and continue collecting beautiful Indian stamps as long as you are healthy enough to do so!

Precautions to be taken while Investing in Coins of the world

 Have you ever thought of collecting coins of the world? Coin collection is a fun hobby that is popular all over the world since a long time now. Scientific evidence proves that the hobby not only reduces stress levels but also increases your knowledge in a great way. There are many ways in which you can start building your collection of valuable coins from around the world. The internet and latest communication platforms allow you to connect with different collectors from different corners of the earth, making things much simpler. Today you can showcase pictures of your collection online and look for interested parties with just a few clicks. Networking has become more convenient with the advent of new internet technologies and platforms. The best part is that the value of these coins keeps appreciating with time. If you were to sell some interesting world coins after a period of three to four years, you might end up making a lot of profit.

Coin exhibitions and related events are the best places where you can find rare world coins. You need to be very careful when you are putting in a lot of money on coins from around the world, because there are chances that they are not as precious or rare. That’s the reason why it becomesextremely important to keep researching about valuable coins from around the world. Knowledge is something that will take you a long way in the field of numismatics where there are many who are looking to sell their fake coins for a worthy amount. Again, there are thousands of websites that share information about different kinds of rare world coins. You need to be careful about the authenticity of information. You must refer trusted sources and online catalogues whenever it comes to researching about coins from around the world. This will ensure that you are not fooled by dealers and distributors in any way. It is always better to do your complete research before purchasing expensive world coins. You could also consider taking a second opinion from expert collectors or numismatists.

Also remember that greed might misguide you to take a wrong decision. Trusting your instincts is one thing and checking facts and figures is another. Many collectors gamble by taking risky decisions and end up losing a lot of money!

My Favourite Piece from my collection of Currency notes of India

When we think of Indian notes, all we think about is cash in our wallets. But if you are a passionate collector or notaphilist, you will go one step further. Notaphilists will take their time and keep looking at notes of India for hours together. They would try their best for finding out the history of Indian notes along the various symbolic depictions on them. Many would wonder what is so exciting about collecting Currency notes of India. Collecting notes is a hobby which is not very popular, but those who do it are the ones who can explain the joy of indulging in notaphily.

I have been collecting old notes of India since five years now, but I still think that there is a lot to achieve. Some of the expert collectors that I met recently have amazing collections of rare notes of India like the ones that were issued during the British times. Sometimes I wished I had some of those in my collection of Indian notes, but that’s how it is. You won’t find what you are looking for unless and until you are passionately trying to find it wholeheartedly. If I was asked to choose the most special piece form my collection of currency notes in India, I would be a super solid 1 Re note that was issued in 1917. Very recently our 1 rupee note celebrated its hundredth anniversary and I felt proud of owning a piece of history with me. I also have an interesting collection of colonial notes that were issued by the French and Portuguese. Some collector friends continuously lure me to sell those beautiful notes of India, but deep down they know that I will never do that ultimately. That’s the main difference between a collector and a dealer who is only looking to make some quick money by buying and selling notes randomly.

I have inculcated the habit of closely analyzing every Indian notes that comes to me. My friends sometimes laugh at me, but I don’t really care because collecting old notes of India is my passion and will continue doing it as and when I get some free time.    

   

Collecting Stamps of India – The Perfect Stress buster

We live in a day and age when stress has become an organic part of our lives. It all boils down to how you manage your stress in the long run. The number of cases related to depression and suicides are on the rise day by day. There is a need to start a conversation or indulge in something that releases your stress in some way or the other. Though physical exercise for at least half an hour can bring down stress levels to a great extent, hobbies are something that can make a bigger impact. Unlike other common hobbies, collecting Stamps of India doesn’t just bring joy into your lives but also increases your general knowledge.

I have been collecting Indian stamps from the last four years now and the journey has been truly exciting so far. The joy of adding rare Indian stamps in your collection cannot be expressed in words. It definitely boosts your morale and confidence levels greatly. The most fascinating aspect about old Indian stamps is its variety. India is such a vibrant country with so many different cultures, traditions and landscapes that stamps in India are a treat to collect for any philatelist. Moreover, you are keeping your mind engaged on most occasions, trying to read about the imagery depicted on rare stamps of India.

Whenever I am stressed out, I take out my collection of Indian rare stamps and keep gazing at them for hours together. A lot of effort goes into putting together an impressive collection of Indian stamps. Sometimes, all you feel like doing is pull them out of your drawers and appreciate the time you spent on making this collection and the hard work you put in for the same. There are very few hobbies like collecting stamps of India which can give you so much pleasure and knowledge at the same time.     

Ancient Coins of India and their broad classifications

Collectors from all around the world have a fascination for old Indian coins. Many of these ancient coins of India were issued thousands of years ago by various kingdoms and emperors. Indian old coins from the Magadha Mauryan empire speak a lot about the richness of Indian traditions and cultures. They suggest the existence of highly civilized societies within the Indian subcontinent right from ancient times. Moreover, these ancient Indian coins also suggest that the Indian subcontinent was had some of the wealthiest kingdoms of its times.

Ancient coins of India can be classified based on the various janapadas that existed during those days. Gandhara, Magadha, Magadha-mauryan, Kashi, Kuntala and Ayodhya formed the earliest Janapadas starting from 600 BCE. Then there were invaders like Greco-Bactrian, Indo-Greeks, Indo – Scythian, Kushan, Indo – Parthian, Indo Sassanian, Huns etc. who minted coins under their regime as well. The designs, motifs, inscriptions of ancient Indian coins were unique and represented the ruling kingdom which issued them. There is so much to explore that a single lifetime wouldn’t be sufficient to learn about them.

Then there were Mighty kingdoms under the Guptas, Western Kshatrapas and Satavahanas, each of which issued beautiful Indian Old Coins. If you thought that there were powerful kingdoms only in the north, then you are wrong. Old Coin of India struck under south Indian empires like Cholas, Pandyas and Pallavas suggest that the Indian subcontinent maintained strong trade relations with foreign lands as well. There were influential city states as well like Mathura, Rajgir, Kolhapur, Ayodhya, Ujjain, Taxila etc., many of which had their own unique coinage. 

Numismatics in India is really exciting. Every coin allows you to understand history at a deeper level. What we have been taught in school is nothing when compared with the number of ancient dynasties that ruled over the Indian subcontinent.

Types of Old Indian Notes that Notaphilists look for

There are several passionate Notaphilist in our country who loves collecting interesting Indian Notes. They follow different themes based on the era in which these currency notes in India were issued. Notes of India can be broadly classified into five categories namely Early Banknotes, British India, Princely states, colonial issues and republic India notes. The kind of notes that a Notaphilist wants to collect is based on personal likes and interests.

There are many others who look for Rare Notes of India with unique serial number. There is another group of collectors who are keen on studying different imageries and motifs on Old Notes of India. No matter which category you fall into, this History of Indian Notes is really exciting and equally fascinating. If you are a true collector, you wouldn’t be satisfied by simply adding Rare Notes of India in your collection. You will take some effort in learning about the historical significance hidden behind these Currency Notes in India. By studying about issue limits and serial numbers of banknotes, you can understand the rarity of notes in your collection. Only if you are aware about these facts, would you will be given your due respect in this community.  

Early banknotes of India can be further classified into specific issues released by the three different presidencies namely, Bengal, Bombay and Madras. British India notes can be categorized into Portrait Note of Queen Victoria, Uniface Note of Government of India, King George V and King George VI. When it comes to old Indian notes issued by Princely states, Hyderabad was the only princely state that released its own Currency Notes of India. Other colonial issues include amazing Indo-French and Indo-Portuguese notes. There are many rare notes of India falling in these categories which have been sold for impressive amounts in auction houses all over the world. And finally, Republic India Notes can be further classified as Government of India issues, Indian Notes released under Reserve Bank of India, Persian Gulf issues and Haj Pilgrim notes.

With so many varieties to look forward to, collecting and studying about Rare Indian Notes is a dream for any Notaphilist!

An Online Museum of Coins with a Difference!

There are some hobbies that don’t just bring joy into our lives. They also help in upgrading our knowledge in some or the other way. Hobbies like coin collection, banknote collection and stamp collection fall under this category.

Passionate collectors make it a point to research about everything that they are collecting. In the age of internet, finding information is just a matter of a few searches and clicks. Authenticity of data is what really matters, especially when it comes to historical information about coins. Apart from that, you won’t find many websites that share all the information you need under one single roof. Mintage world is a one of a kind online museum of coins, banknote museum and stamp museum which offers well-categorized data like never before. It is a paradise for coin collectors, researchers, numismatists, notaphilists, philatelists, historians, students and everyone else who wants to indulge in these exciting hobbies. It allows you to search and filter out data based on multiple parameters.  In case of coins, you can search based on era, rulers, type of coin etc. Similarly, in the case of stamps, you can search based on themes, time periods etc. With respect to banknotes, filers like issue date, denomination, country name etc. make the process of research much simpler.

Moreover, this online museum of coins shares detailed information about all types of coins with obverse/ reverse descriptions, high resolution images, history and much more. Now philatelists or stamp lovers wouldn’t have to look into multiple websites. They can access all that they need through this single online stamp museum. The online banknote museum on Mintage World covers information about all types of Indian banknotes, right from the colonial issues to the republic notes of India. Not just that, the website also lists upcoming events so that you won’t miss any. There are other sections like news, blog, videos, shopping, etc which add value to this unique online museum of coins, online banknote museum and stamp museum.

Why understanding historical significance of Rare Coins in India is essential?

Have you ever wondered why antique coins of India have a lot of respect among numismatic communities all over the world? That’s purely because of the rich historical stories that these antique Indian coins carry along with them. Even though the value of a coin majorly depends on its rarity and condition, there are several instances where the rarest coins of India have been sold for impressive amounts just because of their historical significance. That’s the reason why, every collector should be keen on researching about the historical facts hidden behind these coins. The more you dive into our glorious past, the more you would be amazed! Apart from ancient Indian coins, rare coins of British India and colonial coins have been in the spotlight for quite some time in the numismatic communities now. Being an Indian collector, you should definitely make the most of these wonderful opportunities. Collectors are willing to invest a lot of money into them since they can be easily sold for a higher value, a few years down the line.

You should always be wary of distributors who claim to offer the rarest coins of India. Only if you analyze them deeply, you might find out that they are not so rare. It is always better to take advice from well-known and experienced collectors before investing in expensive antique Indian coins. Expert numismatists can easily make out whether a coin is actually rare or not, since they are backed with sound knowledge about history. You wouldn’t want to put in thousands of rupees into so-called “rare coins of British India” and later realize that their actual market value is not that high.  
Apart from British Indian coins, there are many interesting colonial coins that were issued by other colonies that were established in India like Dutch, Portuguese and French. Many of these antique coins of India are highly sought after by collectors and investors alike. So follow the mantra of understanding history before adding new coins to your collection!

Coins of the world: Watching history through new eyes

Each country has an identity. This identity is defined primarily by that nation’s history. The world is thousands of centuries old and human civilizations started blossoming after a later stage. Human beings are social animals who like living in communities. During stone-age, human beings used to rely on hunting. They later started inventing many new things, including cultivation or agriculture. Barter system was used in the ancient times for exchanging goods. Soon, there was a need to come up with a standard monetary system to buy or sell goods. The earliest coins of the world is supposedly the Lydian Lion from present-day Turkey which were issued from around 600 to 610 BC. These amazing coins preceded Ancient Greek coinage and from there the journey of coins from around the world began. Each king/ emperor or dynasty issued coins for their own territory. They featured unique motifs and symbols that were somewhere related to their kingdom. After a point in history, coins of the world were struck with portraits of kings in different postures. They also featured inscriptions that praised these kings or emperors. 

Coins from around the world are the perfect mediums through which you can traverse back in time. Historians have traced various historical events, successions and conquests based on their research on valuable coins from around the time. Numismatists from across the globe have conducted various studies and researches to demystify those unknown aspects of history. Dating is a process in numismatics using which you can arrive at an approximate age of coins of the world. In one way, these coins from around the world act like time-stamps for identifying various events from the past. That’s the reason why coin collection is one of the most popular hobbies you would find anywhere. This definitely is a more exciting and unique way of learning history, far better than mugging up history text books!

How I found my calling by collecting Old Indian Coins

5 years back, I was a boring man with no particular interests in life. The moment I was introduced to the hobby of collecting old Indian coins, my life changed for the better drastically. I was pursuing a normal day job in the IT industry with a decent salary. I had everything in terms of material possessions and comforts, but I felt incomplete deep within. I was constantly searching for something that would make me happy internally. There was a sense of unrest within me when I realized that there was no meaning to the life I was leading. I had no sense of direction really with every passing day.

One day, my uncle showed me his collection of ancient Indian coins and my eyes lit up. He kept sharing the historical significance of the collection of old Indian coins that he had built over a period of ten long years.  The more we talked about Indian old coins, the more I was fascinated by them. I borrowed one the ancient Indian coins from my uncle to start my own collection. Suddenly, I started having something to look forward to in life. After a long day at work, I used to think of ways in which I could easily grow my collection of Indian old coins. I searched for websites and online communities and started engaging in worthy conversations with fellow collectors from all over the world. I also started devoting some time for researching about all kinds of old Indian coins.  Slowly and steadily, I not only started growing my collection of ancient coins of India but also started improving my knowledge about them.

I found a new direction in life as soon as I started indulging completely in this amazing hobby. I am much happier now since I think I have found my inner calling in Old Coins of India.