Kolkata: Mudra Utsav 2015

[Bimat]

When: December 25 - December 27, 2015.

Where: Haldiram Banquet Hall, 24, Ballygunge, Kolkata - 700019.

Aditya

[Bimat]

Azad Hind currency, medals to be on display

Shounak Ghosal,TNN | Dec 18, 2015, 12.44 PM IST


KOLKATA: Ever wondered if Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose did manage to rout the British, what would've today's Indian currency looked like? Or, what would we call the highest military honour had the Azad Hind Fauj won the freedom struggle? The rarest of rare articles - from Azad Hind banknotes to INA medals - will be on display for the public at a three-day numismatic exhibition starting Christmas.

Numismatist Prithwish Das Gupta, who has in his collection a jaw-dropping Azad Hind Fauj memorabilia, will display some of these objects.

"This year, our theme is 'Heritage of Bengal'. There will be exhibits of coins of Bengal right from the 3rd century BC till the British India rule. Very rare gold coins will be on display as well. Viewers will get to see original valuab e documents signed by Lord Mountbatten. And of course here the INA currency and medals," said Numismatic Society of Calcutta secretary Samarjit Ghosal. Another highlight would be the Bengal famine token from 1874.

"There is this bond of Rs 1000, that was supposed to be encashed after Independence.The print on this bond is only on one side. Among the medals is the 'Sher-e-Hind', the highest military decoration awarded by the Azad Hind government," Sadgupta told TOI.

Netaji had established the Azad Hind provisional government in Rangoon towards the end of 1943. The Azad Hind Bank soon followed to manage funds from INA supporters.

What Netaji's great grandnephew Chandra Bose told TOI explains just how rare it is to see INA currency first-hand: "I don't think anyone in my family owns any Azad Hind currency notes or coins."

Source: Times of India

[Saikat]

Yesterday I visited the exhibition. This year there is no live auction being held :-(. However representatives of Todywalla and Marudhar auctions are present. It was well attended and at the time I visited. There was a stall of ONS and I took the opportunity to enroll. Compared to last time, I found more ancient coins being offered. I also picked some coin from the junk boxes of dealers of which some I can identify and some I can not.
I will be posting the coins which I can not identify for your help!
Thanks,
Saikat

[Bimat]

Compared to last time, I found more ancient coins being offered.

That's my observation too! I don't know if number of collectors collecting ancient coins has increased or it is because other markets (Republic India coins, banknotes etc) are down...

Aditya

[dheer]

That's my observation too! I don't know if number of collectors collecting ancient coins has increased or it is because other markets (Republic India coins, banknotes etc) are down...

Aditya

I guess the ancient markets are ever green and they keep it ... Others are craze and come and go

[Bimat]

I read on FB that a couple of thefts happened during the show. An elderly person (that's what I read) took away an entire coin album containing error coins. Some banknote bundles / single notes were also found missing in another incidence....

Aditya

[coinlover]

I went there on 26th afternoon while returning from my office. I was in the lookout for some good indo greek/bengal sultan/other ancient coins of my choice but could not find any. There was a certain dealer selling bengal sultal coins in lots of say , perhaps 200 coins but all were very common. As I collect British India coppers also, I finally purchased two unc Victoria coppers (one 1/2 pice and the other 1/12 th anna) and came back.

Anjan