A new coins gallery will open at the famed Salar Jung Museum next month, displaying for the first time a rare collection ranging from the 3rd Century BC to the present times.
Interestingly, the coins do not form part of Salarjung’s one-man collection but are donations received during 1962, 1979 and 1981. They fill the missing link in the museum’s rich repository.
The new gallery, being readied on the first floor of the central block, will showcase 600-odd coins of various dynasties in the past 2,300 years.
Most of the coins are cast in copper while a few are in silver and lead. There are two tiny gold coins belonging to the Vijayanagar Empire, while a silver one bears the iconic Charminar symbol. A good number has Arabic inscriptions.