In an attempt to revive the dying passion for philately, numismatics and notaphily, the Ultra group on Saturday unveiledwww.mintageworld.com, an online museum for currency notes, coins and stamps.
The website was launched by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the 25th Shukla Day exhibition held at the World Trade Centre. The exhibition pays homage to SM Shukla, who during his lifetime had inspired generations of collectors in numismatics.
“The idea of stamp collection triggers a sense of nostalgia in all of us,” said Mr Fadnavis. “A person ignorant of his country’s rich past may have a present, but definitely no future.” He said auctioning one’s collection allows a childhood hobby to transform into a legitimate source of income.
The Annual Shukla Day Coin, Philately and Banknote Fair, commonly known as Shukla Day, was founded by Farokh Todywalla over 25 years ago.
During the auction, collectors pay between Rs 1,500 and Rs 3-4 lakh. The oldest coin to be auctioned dates back to 600-400 BC. The online portal classifies the exhibits according to different eras of India’s history. For instance, coins have been classified into ancient, medieval, colonial and modern. However, currency notes were officially printed in India only after 1861 CE, and hence are classified differently.
The writer is an intern with The Hindu
