Coin of a nation (Kurdistan), the existence of which is still in dispute; one issued by Subhas Chandra Bose’s parallel government; that depicting Lord Rama’s coronation from the 12th century; and a tiny gold coin belonging to the Vijayanagara empire are among the highlights of an exhibition that features the collection of Justin Gilbert Lopez who holds a Guinness world record for the largest coin collection.
Organised by the District Tourism Promotion Council at Kanakakkunnu Palace here, the exhibition comprises nearly 2,500 coins from Mr. Lopez’s vast collection of nearly 25,000 coins.
The exhibition is organised thematically. It begins with coins arranged under the themes of flowers, animals, sea transport, palm tree, and horsemen. Double metal coins, those on important people, and even coloured coins are exhibited.
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The oldest coin in the Poovar resident’s collection is one featuring Alexander the Great.
Besides coins on countries arranged alphabetically, he has some special ones too such as those on Princess Diana, Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II, and guitar coins from Somalia. Coins featuring Hindu gods, Jesus and Christian saints, and coins and tokens depicting Islamic holy shrines and mosques are also interesting.
There is a section devoted to Indian coins. Apart from Travancore coins, Mr. Lopez has those from other Princely States. Indian coins starting from 1 paisa onwards, those paying tribute to important personalities, a freedom fighter special, and a Gandhi coin section have been arranged. One can see the koris, falus, and dokdo of yore in the collection. Coins issued by the Dutch, the Portuguese, and the East India Company have also been displayed.
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Patience pays
Mr. Lopez says some of the coins were very difficult to come by, and the wait lasted years. For instance, he had to wait three years for a coin from Kyrgyzstan before he could get his Guinness record in 2008. “The coins were issued, and then stopped, and the country shifted to currency notes,” he says. He traces his passion for coins to old Travancore coins that were lying around at his home. A young boy, he gathered the kaash and chakram coins. Life took him to Sharjah to earn a living in a Greek marine firm. There, he came in contact with Greeks who had coins with images of Socrates, Homer, and Alexander the Great. Soon, Mr. Lopez had those, and coins from other countries too.
Travels to other countries as part of work provided an opportunity to build his collection, particularly those from countries such as Jordan, Egypt, and Syria. Friends and acquaintances also did their bit.
He held his first exhibition in the city in 2003, with Uthradom Tirunal of the royal family of the erstwhile Travancore encouraging him. Another one followed in 2004.
The then Tourism Director Alkesh Kumar Sharma was instrumental in Mr. Lopez deciding to apply for a Guinness record. It took a couple of years but finally the record was his. The Limca record too followed.
Now, Mr. Lopez wants to exhibit his collection in all the districts of the State. He also plans to have a permanent venue to display his collection. The exhibition concludes on Wednesday.