A businessman living in Vijayanagar owns a collection of rare coins and notes reflecting India’s numismatic history.
Over the decades, P Subramanya Setty has collected and labelled his possessions for convenient reference. He takes part regularly in numismatic exhibitions all over India.
“As an agarbatti businessman, I saw the value of the rupee going down. Some coins went out of circulation, and the government banned some notes,” he said.
Setty decided to preserve coins and notes for the benefit of future generations. “My collection has now acquired antique value,” he told DH. Sometimes, when he likes something, he adds it to his collection, regardless of what he has to pay for it.
The Mahatma Gandhi series of notes in his collection begins with Rs 10 and goes up to Rs 1,000.
The notes bear striking numbers like 111111 and 999999. Of 136 ‘star’ notes issued by the RBI, Setty has specimens of 130, in denominations of Rs 10, 25, 50, and Rs 100. Star notes replace defectively printed notes, and bear a star in the number. Setty’s most prized possessions are notes from the British era. He has one with a profile of King George VI.
The post-Independence Series II has a Rs 1,000 note issued in 1954, with the Brihadeeshwara Temple of Thanjavur on the reverse. The Ashoka Pillar series, issued in 1975, and the Mahatma Gandhi series, issued since 1996, are also in his collection.
In 1969, the RBI started issuing Re 1 notes in the Gandhi series. Setty has a collection of these, as also the Rs 10 notes issued between 1957 and 1970. The printing of Re 1 and Rs 2 notes stopped in 1995.
About 200 signatures appear on his collection. Setty holds 71 varieties of commemorative coins’ issued since 1964. They are referred to as ‘uncirculated proof-sets,’ and mark events or honour distinguished personalities. They have 50 per cent silver with copper, nickel and zinc.
Published 03 April 2017, 21:09 IST