How My Hobby Of Collecting Indian Notes Made Me Stress Free!

There are many interesting things to do in life which takes you out of your mundane and boring routine. What is the point in spending all your life doing something that does not make you happy? Amidst all the stress around you, there are moments when you want to break free and indulge in something that makes you smile and stay relaxed. Hobbies are a good escape that reduces stress levels to a great extent. There are scientific studies that have proved that people who take their hobbies more seriously are have lesser stress levels. Stress is one of the biggest causes of new age illnesses like hypertension, blood pressure, obesity, etc. Some like to play an instrument and others like to read books. There are many other kinds of interesting hobbies that people around the world are into. One such hobby is collecting banknotes. I know of some collectors who are passionate about collecting Indian Notes. What I like about them is that they are so enthusiastic about everything they do. I had never imagined that I would meet people who are so keen about collecting currency notes of India. 

I was cleaning my bike under my building when I saw a group of middle-aged men discussing something very important. When I went ahead to take a closer look, I found them holding their collections of Indian notes. I felt a bit awkward at first but slowly I was sucked into their conversations. I introduced myself and they did the same as well. They said that they have been collecting currency notes of India since 7 years now. I asked them how they go about doing all this. They said that they are not doing it full time, but they meet at least once in two weeks and discuss about whatever Indian notes they found or collected over the fortnight. When I first looked at their collection of currency notes of India, I was not very impressed. Then they asked me to take a closer look at the serial numbers. I noticed that these numbers had a particular pattern. When they explained more about the Indian notes that they collected, I was even more surprised.  

From that day onwards, I became a new comer to the field of collecting Indian notes. There has been no looking back ever since then! I am happier today; I have something to fall back to in times of stress, all thanks to that one meeting!

The future of Notaphilists interested in Indian Bank Notes

The first banknotes of the world were issued in China during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907). Since then, there has been a sea of changes that have been introduced in the way paper money is produced all over the world. So is the case with the kind of materials that have been used over the years. Paper was mixed with cloth in the early years and today many countries have started issuing plastic banknotes as well. The latest being, the notes issued by England. Some of the notes produced in those days featured a design only on one side, these are called as uni-face banknotes. Did you know that many Indian Bank Notes were issued this way as well? Yes, there are many such amazing facts about banknotes of India that many of us might not be aware about. The study of banknotes or the hobby of collecting banknotes has been termed as notaphily. And those who indulge in this hobby are termed as notaphilists.

Notaphily is catching up in India big time. If you look at the recent trends, you will find out that there are many emerging communities and forums which are passionate about collecting rare Indian banknotes. Some collect Indian banknotes just for the fun of it while others are considering it as a new way of investment. Many notaphilists who are looking to complete a certain set of rare Indian banknotes would go to any extent and are ready to pay a huge amount as well. With the boom in technology and the web world, staying in touch with global communities of notaphilists has become extremely easy. All you have to do is join communities on facebook and post images of what you have with you. You will find a collector who is interested in your note. Networking plays a vital role when it comes to collecting rare Indian banknotes in the long run.

Lose to the Charms of Old Indian Coins

The general tendency for human beings is to like the new. What’s new and trending is what is loved by everybody; probably that’s how the human brain is wired. When we are born, everything we see around us is new to us, each new question makes us more curious and an answer makes us content fully. But the Old has its own charm as well. Very few might connect with this statement at the moment maybe. There are some things that become more beautiful as they keep getting older. It could be anything for that matter. Your old t shirt or an old lane which you used to walk on in your childhood days! Same is the case with Old Indian Coins. There are many collectors who are absolutely crazy about old Indian coins. The historical stories behind each of these Indian old coins make them even more precious.  

Each emperor had their style and way of minting coins during their regime. Ever wondered how coins were made long before coin minting machines were even invented? These coins were manually die-struck with a particular inscription or imagery. The earliest old Indian coins were called punch-marked coins. They were unlike any other coins that we see today as they were rectangular in shape and struck on just one side. The denomination used in those days was shatmanas. It had a common design on them. They were made of silver and many collectors love having these old Indian coins in their collection. There are many other old Indian coins that have been issued by various other emperors after that. Each one of them is distinct in their own way. Through the study of coinage one gets to realize how vast Indian history is.    

So as we keep embracing the new, don’t forget to stay connected with your roots and our wonderful history. One way to achieve this is by collecting old Indian coins.

What makes Collectors fall in love with Indian Notes?

Money is what rules the world. If there was no money how would civilizations evolve? This power of money is what makes many collectors fall in love with currency notes. I have some friends who are into collecting Indian Notes. I always wondered what makes them want to pursue such a unique hobby. The most common hobbies that you would hear about is listening to music, playing a sport maybe. But this unusual hobby of collecting currency notes in India made me curious. 

Finally I went up to them and asked them why they are collecting Indian stamps. One of them answered saying that he loved history and by collecting Indian notes, he kind of stays connected with his field of interest. Thesn I questioned him further to find out what kind of Indian notes he likes to collect. He told me that he keeps looking out for currency notes in India that were issued when our country was colonised by the Portuguese, French and the British. I got a change to look at his amazing collection of Indian notes and was spell bound literally. I suddenly realised why he likes his hobby so much. I gazed at those lovely currency notes in India for almost an hour. Each note had a story to say. For the first time in my life I saw one-sided Indian notes. They had designs and inscriptions only on one side. 

Then I went up to another collector, he was different from my earlier friend. He liked collecting currency notes in India with fancy numbers on the serial number. For example, all ones or all twos. He had a certain terminology for each of these notes. The Indian notes he had with a serial number having the same digit were called super solid notes.

On that day I discovered that it is not really strange for someone to fall in love with the hobby of collecting banknotes!

The Role of Technology in Collecting Indian Stamps

Technology has had its impact in many sectors. It has made our lives easier than ever before. The world literally has become a very small place. Staying in touch with someone who is a world apart is just a matter of few clicks. Social networking sites have made traditional meals of communication almost obsolete. Gone are the days when letters and telegrams were used and we needed to wait for several days just to get a reply. Though most of the changes have been revolutionary and positive, there have been many drawbacks of technology as well. Pollution and ecological imbalance are some of them. I love collecting Indian Stamps and I can see the impact of technology on my hobby as well. 

I started off at an early age and I was introduced to some beautiful collections of stamps of India by my friends in school. Back in those days, letters were an important means of communication. I remember the postman uncle who visited my home frequently with a smile on his face. When was the last time you saw a postman at your doorsteps? I am not talking about courier boys but the postman in his smart khaki shirt. I started collecting all Indian stamps that I could and later started creating my own themes of flowers, birds, monuments etc. Slowly but steadily, I started growing my collection of stamps of India. I exchanged duplicate Indian stamps that I had in my collection with some unique ones. But as the web world saw a big boom in early 2000 and Y2K happened, there has been a drastic shift in the way people started looking at stamp collecting as a hobby. It is sad to see young kids today whiling away their time on the internet rather than gaining some kind of knowledge by collecting stamps. 

I am really thankful to not be a part of this current generation. At least by collecting Indian stamps, I gained a lot of general knowledge.