Why Coin Collecting Supplies Become an Absolute Necessity

As a responsible collector, it is your duty to take good care of your collection. Coins are pieces of history which need to be preserved and loved so that the coming generations can study them better. The inscriptions and designs featured on coins can reveal a lot about cultures and traditions that were followed by people living in a particular region during a particular era. Coin collecting supplies help collectors to retain these precious inscriptions for a long time. When you clean damaged coins using external elements, there are high chances that the coin would get degraded further. To avoid such a situation, it is better to safeguard your coins using quality coin accessories.

Condition is a major aspect which defines the market value of a coin. Suppose you have a rare coin, but in not-so-good condition, then its market value will be lesser than an example of the same variety in better condition. That’s the reason why you must maintain the condition of a coin using coin collecting accessories. By storing coins in coin albums you prevent dust and other unwanted external elements from coming in contact with coins. When silver coins come in contact with moisture, they get oxidised over a period of time. They start losing their original lustre if you don’t protect them using coin capsules. If you really want to sell your coins at an auction for a higher price then you should definitely preserve them in their original condition by using coin storage boxes. 

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There are times when your album gets filled and there is no space to add even a single coin. That’s when coin pages come to the rescue. Mostly collectors would wait for the collection to keep growing, until they feel the need to buy other coin collecting supplies. This is not at all advisable. You should at least keep them safely in coin holders till the time you buy a new album. These little things might seem to be very insignificant, but minor lapses like these can also hurt you in a big way. When you store your valuable collectibles in coin collecting accessories, you make sure that none of them get misplaced. Moreover, you also become organised as a collector. Researching about coins becomes much easier when you follow these organised procedures.

Now that you know the importance of maintaining the condition of coins and following an organised approach in numismatics, don’t waste any more time and buy quality coin accessories right away!

Want to Buy Coins Online? Keep These 3 Points in Mind

There was a time when coin collectors had to put in a lot of effort and research to build an impressive collection. Things have changed a lot over the years as you now have the option to buy coins online. You will find several websites today which offer interesting old Indian coins for sale. You don’t even have to attend auctions physically as you can place your bid online as well. A few clicks are all that it takes to order a coin and your precious collectible will be delivered to you at your doorsteps. However there are many aspects that you must keep in mind when you look for online portals which offer rare Indian coins for sale.  Let’s take a look at some of these important aspects today.

Authenticity
Certain websites claim that they offer vintage coins for sale in India, but these could also be false claims. Depending on the demand for a particular coin, dealers and sellers might sneak in a fake coin and you won’t even realise it. It is important to do your research before taking a final call. You can also take a second opinion from an expert collector to ensure that you are not buying fake coins.

Rarity
The second type of fraud that occurs on these portals is that, sellers might post incorrect information about the coin they are selling. There are so many portals which offer old coins for sale in India that young buyers can easily be tricked. Rarity of a coin is one major aspect which defines the market value of a coin. Sellers might falsely claim that the coin is rare and you might end up paying a high price for a considerably common coin. 

Condition
Since buyers depend on photographs of coins while placing their order, many of these websites which offer old Indian coins for sale online might post pictures of coins in a better condition to fool buyers. That’s the reason why it is best to place orders on reputed online portals or online auction houses. If you get a chance to physically check the coin before buying a coin, you must definitely grab that opportunity.

Although there are many loopholes in the system of online buying and selling these days, you will also find really good websites which not only offer rare Indian coins for sale, but will also provide valuable information about the coin and its history. Before you buy coins online, you can definitely check with fellow collectors and identify authentic websites so that you don’t become a victim of such unwanted traps.

Use Postcard Accessories to promote a dying hobby

There was a time when letters and postcards were the only means of communication between people who were residing far away from each other. Today, times have changed with the advent of improved internet technologies which has made the world a small place to live in. Even though these technologies have made our lives more convenient, it has led the decline of popular hobbies like stamp collecting and postcard collecting. All said and done, there is a considerably large community of postcard collectors who are striving hard to keep these wonderful hobbies alive. Postcards depict beautiful and intriguing imagery of people, places and cultures from different parts of the world. Most collectors look for amazing postcards when they visit a new place so that they can treasure their travels in a unique way. They also use postcard accessories to safeguard their postcards from dust or moisture.

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Collectors who don’t use postcard collecting supplies to protect their valuable collectibles end up spoiling their collections forever. A postcard storage album contains several pages and each page has multiple plastic pouches in which you can insert your postcards. You can also use a postcard album to arrange your postcards based on different themes depending on the imagery shown on them. For example, you can dedicate a set of postcard plastic pockets in your album just for the unique destinations of the world, while you can put postcards depicting culture and traditions in another set of postcard plastic sleeves. If you really want the coming generations to marvel at your collection, then you must take necessary steps to ensure that your postcards don’t get spoilt by simply keeping them in drawers or random boxes. Moreover, there are high chances that you will misplace your postcards if you don’t keep them safely in postcard accessories.

It is true that nobody can turn the wheel in the opposite direction to stop the advancement of technology. But at the same time, it is also important to promote amazing hobbies like these so that they don’t die down in the near future. So, encourage your kids to keep looking for interesting postcards whenever they visit a new city or destination. Teach them the importance of storing them in postcard collecting supplies, so that they can pass on their collections to the future generation. Hobbies like these instil a sense of responsibility among the youth and also allow them to interact with a lot of people in this digital age, thus increasing their self confidence!

Why Collecting Coins of India is the Most Satisfying Hobby

Stress has become a major part of our lives and we all like indulging in a hobby or activity that relieves our tension. Some like to draw, some like singing while many others like to play a sport. Coin collecting is one of the very few hobbies out there which doesn’t just bring in joy in your lives but also increases your general knowledge. Through the study of Indian coins, children can learn a lot about our glorious past. There is a different kind of thrill that can be experienced while holding a piece of history in your hands like an Indian coin. The activity is much better than mugging up history text books just for the sake of scoring marks in examinations.

Coins of India come in numerous varieties and each one of them has some hidden historical significance. Right form ancient times, various Janapadas such as Gandhara Janapada, Mauryan janapada etc issued exquisite Indian coins. If you have a coin of India issued during the Gupta Era then you can learn about several interesting facts related to the Golden Era of Indian history. Similarly, even during medieval times, great kings and emperors like Shivaji Maharaj and Akbar issued some amazing coins of India. By reading and studying the inscriptions on these coins, you can analyse the chronology of historical events and succession of kingship within a kingdom. You will also be able to discover insights about cultural, traditional and religious influences associated with a particular time period, region or dynasty. Understanding Indian coinage and collecting Indian coins is the best way to learn about the rich diversity of our culture.

There are many other benefits of collecting coins as well. For example, if you have a precious and rare coin of India in your collection, then you can make some extra income by selling it through online auctions. Moreover, you will also get a chance to interact with other experts and experienced collectors from the field of numismatics which will in turn improve your knowledge about Indian coins. So, don’t waste any more time, if you are thinking of starting a new hobby, there can’t be anything better than collecting coins of India.

Colourful History of Old Indian Stamps and Philately

There is a lot to explore when it comes to the history of Indian stamps. Some of these old Indian stamps are extremely rare. Let’s take a quick look at some interesting facts about Indian Philately. 

Old Indian Stamps
Scinde Dawk is not only considered to be the very first stamps of India but also as the earliest stamps of Asia. It was made of red ceiling wax wafers and had an embossed design. These rare Indian postage stamps were circulated within the Sindh region and are highly sought-after by collectors all over the world. They bore the denomination half anna and only 100 such stamps exist today, making them highly desirable.

Indian stamps issued during the British regime featured portraits of kings and queens. The inverted head four annas stamp issued in 1854 is a rare gem which is auctioned for lakhs of rupees. This octagonal shaped postage stamp of India featured an inverted image of Queen Victoria and was printed due to an error. Owning these Indian rare stamps is every collector’s dream.

First Stamps of Independent India
The very first stamps in India issued after independence featured the tricolour flag along with the slogan “Jai Hind”. It bore the denomination three and a half annas and was issued on 21ist November 1947. However, these Indian stamps were used for international correspondence. The second postage stamp of India depicted the Ashokan Lion Capital. It bore the denomination 1 and half annas and was released for domestic mails. 

Commemorative Stamps of India
There are numerous fascinating aspects of our country which are worth exploring as themes for Indian stamp designs. Over the years, India has issued numerous interesting commemorative Indian stamps to celebrate important events, achievements or to honour important personalities. These events, institutions, organisations and personalities belong to different categories.

Through the study of these unique stamps in India, the younger generation can discover many amazing facts about our country. That’s the reason why, it’s very important to promote the hobby of stamp collecting among youngsters. They should be encouraged to collect stamps of India based on various themes such as animals, birds, flowers, monuments, history, science, art, culture etc.  This will increase their general knowledge to a great extent.

Now, that you know something about the history of old Indian stamps, start looking for some interesting varieties and put together an impressive collection.

Two Types of British Currency in India with Same Denomination

History of British India currency notes is extremely fascinating when you explore the different categories in depth. Let’s take a look at two types of British Indian currency notes which carry the same denomination today.

20 Rupees Uniface Note of Queen Victoria

These old British India notes bore the denomination 20 Rupees and were issued for Bombay Circle on 10th June 1864. The uniface notes depicted a portrait of Queen Victoria while the other side was left blank. They were produced using handmade white paper and had a dimension of 16cm X 30cm. These historical British Indian currency notes featured the signatures of J.A. Ballard and S.K. Lambert, while the letter “C” was used as the prefix.
Queen Victoria portrait was shown inside a floral wreath in the top left corner. Other texts included 'Government of India'; Serial numbers with prefix on both sides of the promise text; Denomination in words in Bangla and Persian; Circle between printed mirrored dates on both sides; Denomination in numerals in Persian and Bangla; The name of Sub-Circle as an overprint; Hand stamped signature 'For The Government Of India’. The watermark featured the text GOVERNMENT OF INDIA in bold letters.

20 Rupees Uniface Note of Government of India

 Here is another beautiful example of currency of British India bearing the denomination 20 Rupees, issued for Lahore or Calcutta circle. These Uniface notes were made of handmade white paper or moulded paper. They had a breadth of 12cm and length of 17cm. These British India notes featured the signature of A.F. Cox and the prefix EA. The Language Panel included four languages namely, Urdu, Hindi, Kaithi and Bangla.
The obverse side featured other texts such as Government Of India'; Serial numbers; two sets of mirrored dates, Circle of Issue, promise text; Denomination panel, '20/Rupees' in a hexagon; 'For The Government Of India', Green underprint consisting of Irregular ovals under the serial number and a big 'Twenty'. The watermark contained wavy lines inside a wavy rectangular panel; INDIA; GOVERNMENT OF INDIA; Vertical RUPEES inverted on both sides; Plate number in an alphabet and week and year of manufacture in four digits.

If you are trying to build a set of british currency in India, then don’t forget to look for notes from these two distinct categories.

Banknote Collecting Supplies for Different Types of Collectors

When it comes to the hobby of collecting banknotes, you will find all kinds of collectors. Amateur or novice collectors are not too keen about doing research or learning about the history behind old banknotes. They are mostly interested in building a collection of banknotes from different parts of the world. Expert notaphilists on the other hand, dig deep into the history of banknotes and keep researching to increase their knowledge base. There are certain collectors who are passionate about collecting banknotes that feature fancy serial numbers, while there are others who treasure rare banknotes as an investment and sell them later for a higher price. No matter which category you fall into, you wouldn’t be able to make your mark in this hobby if you don’t invest in the right kind of banknote collecting supplies.

Novice Collectors:
Good quality banknote accessories help you in organising your collection in a decent way. You can categorise your banknotes based on different parameters such as country name, denomination, year of issue etc. When you present what you have neatly in a banknote album, you are surely going to impress a few admirers. 

Expert Notaphilists:
A branded banknote collection album is a must for an expert notaphilist. Most notaphilists have an index, using which they browse through their collections quickly. Finding a particular note for research is almost impossible if you don’t organise them in banknote collecting supplies. 

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Serial Number Enthusiasts:
Collectors who hunt banknotes with special serial numbers generally want to arrange their sets in a specific format. They might also want to slide in a piece of information in banknote sleeves along with their notes. This way, people who view these sets will get a clear idea about the significance of a particular set or note. 

Rarity Seekers:
Maintaining the condition of rare and precious notes is extremely important. If you fail to do so, then you might have to sell them at a lower value in the future. Banknote accessories protect your collection from dust, moisture and other external elements, thus ensuring that the condition of your note remains intact for a long period of time. 

To cut the long story short, investing in quality accessories is unavoidable for any collector.

Understanding Indian Notes and their Broad Categories

There are so many varieties of Indian notes that it sometimes gets very difficult to study them. The best way to analyse the history of Indian notes is by doing your research category-wise. Notes of India are broadly classified into five categories. Let’s understand each one today.

Early Indian Banknotes

The East India Company issued currency notes in India for three different presidencies namely, Bengal Presidency, Bombay Presidency and Madras Presidency. These notes were issued by semi-government banks as well as private banks. The Bank of Hindostan was the oldest bank of India which issued Indian notes from 1770 to 1832.

British India Notes

After the revolt of 1857, India directly fell under the authority of British Crown. Old notes of India issued after this time period were known as British India Notes. Initially, uniface notes featuring a portrait of Queen Victoria were issued. Banknotes depicting a portrait if King George V and King George VI were also issued later.

Princely State Issues

Only one princely state has issued currency notes of India, and that is Hyderabad. These banknotes depicted beautiful designs and Persian texts. Notes in denominations such as 1 rupee, 5 rupees, 10 rupees, 100 rupees, 500 rupees and 1000 rupees were issued by Hyderabad. Collectors are always keen on acquiring examples of these amazing princely state issues.  
 Colonial Notes

Apart from Britain, several parts of the Indian subcontinent were colonised by other European powers such as the Dutch, French, Portugal and Danes. Rare notes of India issued by these Governments fall under this category. These wonderful banknotes of India were circulated only within a particular territory.  

Republic India Notes

Notes of India issued after independence are known as Republic India notes. Today, the Reserve Bank of India issues banknotes of denominations such as 5 rupees, 10 rupees, 20 rupees, 50 rupees, 100 rupees, 500 rupees and 2000 rupees. 1 rupee notes are issued by the Government of India.


 If you are interested in collecting Indian Notes, then it is important to understand these broad categories first. Once you start reading about the history of Indian banknotes, you will start enjoying your hobby even more!  

Stamp Collecting Accessories Are Essential for all types of Collectors

When it comes to the hobby of Stamp Collecting, you will find all kinds of collectors. Some are interested in doing research and increasing their knowledge, while many others are keen on acquiring rare postage stamps. Even though their intent may be different, all of them would understand the importance of quality stamp collecting accessories.

Topical collectors
Most stamp collectors and philatelists have a specific area of interest. Depending on the topics they like to read or research about, they pick up a theme and try finding postage stamps which fall under that particular theme. Philatelic supplies are required to organise your collection based on these topics. If you keep storing stamps haphazardly, there are chances that you might misplace them. It is almost impossible to put together a unique set, unless you organise them in stamp collecting albums.

Love for Rarities
There are some expert collectors who are always on the lookout for rare postage stamps. They attend auctions and invest in these rarities so that they can sell them later at a better price. Stamp collecting accessories are absolute must-haves if you want to preserve the condition of these rare stamps. Old postage stamps are very delicate and they can easily get damaged if necessary precautions are not taken. So, always keep your rare beauties safely in branded stamp stockbooks, just like you safeguard diamonds in a secure locker.

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Knowledge Seekers
Postage stamps can reveal a lot of information about various aspects of a country. Through this hobby, collectors get a chance to upgrade their knowledge. They also get a window to learn about various cultures, traditions, historical facts, personalities, wildlife, architecture, art and more from different parts of the world. When you store your stamps in stamp collecting supplies, you can easily browse through your collection in a systematic manner whenever you want to explore something new. Stamp binders are great, as you can keep on adding more stamps to your collection dynamically, as and when it grows along with your knowledge.

Young Students
Youngsters and school-going kids can gain a lot through this hobby as it offers a fun way to learn many concepts. Apart from that, when kids are asked to protect their stamps using stamp collecting sheets, they invariably become more responsible by nature. Moreover, children can sometimes be very careless, which is why keeping your collection secure in stamp stockpages is important, especially when kids are handling it. 

No matter which category you fall into, if you are a passionate collector then you must always store your valuable possession in good quality stamp collecting accessories, so that your future generations can marvel at your collection and take your legacy forward. 

2 Unique Examples of World Paper Money Every Collector Must Look For

The thrill of collecting World currency can be experienced only when you take up the hobby more seriously. It is not possible to keep adding rare world banknotes to your collection. However, you can always look for different currencies of the world that have a rich history behind it. Let’s take a look at two such examples of world paper money and study their designs. 

50 HELLER Banknote of Liechtenstein 

These unique world banknotes were issued for the House of Liechtenstein in the year 1920. They bore the denomination 50 HELLER and featured a vertical design. The obverse side of this amazing world paper money featured a checkered background with coat of arms at the centre. The name of issuing authority was printed at the top centre. Other texts include the value in words, promise text below followed by signatures. All the legends on these banknotes of the world were in German. The reverse side of these rare banknotes of the world were very unique as it featured an image of the Castle in Vaduz in blue colour.
Krone was the official currency of Liechtenstein from 1898 to 1921. One krone was made of 100 Heller. After the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved in the year 1918, Austro-Hungarian krone and Austrian krone was used. As Krone started becoming more and more unstable, Swiss franc was chosen as the national currency in 1921. Smaller denominations such as 10, 20, and 50 Heller were issued in 1920 as there was a shortage of coins. When you collect such wonderful banknotes from around the world, you must also make an effort to understand their history.

100 Afghanis note from Afghanistan  

Here is another stunning example of world currency that’s easily available. This red-coloured 100 Afghanis note was issued in the year 1961. The obverse side featured the Arabic legend 'Bank of Afghanistan' on top right with promise text. The numerical year of issue and value in words was shown below it. Signatories were also printed with names below on the face. The National emblem of Afghanistan is positioned at the bottom centre while the Name of printer in Latin can be seen below it. The prefix with serial number is printed at the bottom right and left corners. Denomination 100 Afghanis in Arabic is shown at centre right, while denomination in Latin is featured at centre left. A portrait of the last King of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah in military uniform is depicted on the left side of these amazing banknotes of the world.
The reverse side featured the Arabic Legend 'Bank of Afghanistan' on top right, while denomination 100 Afghanis in Latin is shown at top left and in Arabic at bottom right corner. Vignette of Friday mosque in Heart is shown at centre. The interesting aspect of these world banknotes is that, they were printed at Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd. in London, England, with a multicolour underprint. The watermark features an effigy of King Muhammad Zahir Shah.

So don’t get disheartened if you don’t find rare world paper money because there are several other unique and interesting varieties to explore.

Coin Collecting Supplies Can Be Your Real Saviour

It’s always better to live without any regrets in life. It takes a lot of effort, research and patience to put together an impressive coin collection, but it doesn’t even take a moment to lose or destroy them. That’s the reason why, every collector should definitely take preventive measures to safeguard a coin collection from the very beginning. If you choose to remain careless, you might have to regret later when you have no other option but to sell your coins at a lesser price. More than the monetary losses, coins have a lot of historical significance. They speak a lot about our rich culture and traditions. It’s our responsibility to protect these amazing pieces of history using quality coin collecting supplies.

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Since coins are small in size, there are high chances that you might misplace them if you store them in random boxes or drawers. If you take your hobby seriously, then you should invest in good coin collecting accessories so that you don’t lose your precious coins. These accessories come in different sizes and shapes and each one of them have their own functionality. Coin albums contain several pages and each page has multiple plastic pouches in which you can insert your coins. You also have the option to buy coin pages separately in case there is no space left in your album. Make sure that you purchase branded coin collecting supplies because local brands manufacture their products using inferior quality materials. Branded coin accessories might be a bit costly, but they will definitely last longer and more importantly, they will keep your collection safe from any kind of dust, moisture or scratches.

Coin capsules are generally made of hard plastic and they protect your coins from any kind of external abrasions. Coin storage boxes look very classy and sophisticated. They are generally used by collectors to store rare or precious coins. They come with a soft padding which gives extra protection to coins. Coin holders are mostly made of hard cardboard and a transparent plastic see-through. They help in naming coins and keeping them intact inside an album.

So think twice before you select your coin collecting accessories, because they are the best friends of your collection.

Old Currency Bank Notes of India – Interesting Facts and History

Old Currency Bank Notes issued after independence are known as republic India notes. However, the Reserve Bank of India continued to issue and circulate extant notes of British India till 26th January 1950 when the constitution of India was formed. The first ever 1 rupee notes of republic India were designed in the year 1949 by the Government of India. Ever since then, the Government of India has been issuing 1 rupee notes for India while all the remaining denominations are issued by the Reserve Bank of India. The latest denomination is the 200 Rupees note that was introduced last year and the 2000 rupees note that was introduced in 2016. Designs of 10 Rs and 50 rupees republic India notes have also be revamped recently.    

At first, it was decided that the old republic India notes would feature a portrait of the father of our nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi. Strangely though, the decision was revoked at the last moment and the Lion Capital of Sarnath was chosen. This was probably because they didn’t want to depict a personality on the first republic India notes. Instead they wanted to feature a symbol that represents our country.

Old notes of republic India that were issued after 1953 started using Hindi language more boldly. Did you know that the Reserve bank of India had issued old currency banknotes of high denominations such as Rs 1,000, Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10,000 in the year 1954? Another interesting fact about republic India notes is that the size of notes were reduced in the year 1967 as the nation was facing economic crises and the government wanted to implement cost-cutting measures. A commemorative series of republic India notes was issued in the year 1969 to celebrate the birth centenary of Mahatma Gandhi. Unlike other old notes of republic India, these special notes featured a seated Gandhiji with the Sevagram Ashram in the background.

The very first 20 Rs notes of republic India were introduced in the year 1972 and the first 50 rupees notes were circulated two years later, in 1975. The high denomination old currency banknotes were demonetised in 1972. The ancient mathematician Aryabhatta was featured on the 2 Rupees notes of republic India in 1980s. Similarly, the oil rig was featured on 1 rupee note and Farming mechanism was featured on 5 rupees notes issued during this period. The Konark wheel and Peacock were featured on 20 rupees and 10 rupees notes of this time.  

There are many such interesting facts related to old currency banknotes that need to be explored as a true Indian. So, start collecting different types of republic India notes to enhance your knowledge.

Tips for Collecting Rare Banknotes of India and Enhancing Knowledge

There is a large community of people who are crazy about collecting Indian banknotes. Some are interested in rare banknotes while others look for notes with fancy serial numbers. No matter where your speciality or expertise lies, there is a lot to learn through the study of old currency banknotes.

We have reached a stage where countries are now producing polymer notes, but do you know how  early banknotes of India were made? Most of these notes were made using handmade white paper, due to which it is very difficult to find early banknotes in extremely good condition.

The East India Company had made different territories in the Indian subcontinent namely, Bombay Presidency, Madras Presidency and Bengal Presidency for administrative purposes. Private and semi-government banks such as Bank of Hindostan, issued Indian presidency banknotes that were circulated only within these specific territories. Some of these early banknotes come in unique denominations such as 8 rupees, 16 rupees, 5000 rupees and more. Many of them had designs only on one side. If you have any one of these rare banknotes in your collection, you can make a lot of money by auctioning them. The unique calligraphy and designs on these old banknotes of India make them even more precious.

It is very important to take care of these early banknotes by using quality banknote albums as they are very delicate. Only if you maintain the condition of your notes, will you be able to fetch good returns in the future.  Apart from that, join as many online and offline communities who are into collecting early Indian banknotes. This way, you will get to know about the historical significance of certain unique banknotes of India.

Knowledge is everything in this hobby. If you don’t keep researching, dealers and sellers might try fooling you by selling notes at a much higher value than its actual market value. The best way to increase your knowledge about early banknotes is by reading reference books and catalogues written by famous notaphilists. When you are aware about each variety of Indian banknotes, you will be able to put together a more impressive collection. So, lose yourself into the world of early Indian banknotes and enhance your knowledge along with your collection.