An ISO 9001 - 2008 Certified Group QA/QMS/0315194 'ICCG News Numismatic News Paper of India'
During our childhood days we used to get small autograph books in which we used to take a autographs of film stars and show off to our friends.
I started collecting autographs since 1985 and am avidly following celebrities to get them. Though I have collected only 700 above of them, but the experience about getting them gives you a job scetisfaction.
These are people who feel that it�s a waste of time, money and energy, but the same people don�t know that when you get a reply with an autograph of a celebrity, its height of excitement and you feel honored that a celebrity replying your letter.
Let�s take example of shri Amitabh bachchan or Ms Lata mangeshkar. Many people are craving to get their autographs and have been writing regularly but in vain. But I am lucky to have Sri Amitabh Bachchan, Ms Lata Mangashkar and God of Cricket Sachin tendulkar.
It so happens that as people and your friends know about you, the first question when you meet then next is , � Aree Latest Kiska Autograph Aaya� So it becomes a brand as Autograph collector.
In India philography does not have a vast commercial market; where as in U.S and U.K there are stores and shops selling Autographs of celebrity singers, players, Actors and politicization here still people are more on the passionate side then commercial. There are some Autograph clubs formed and they have started Auction on whatapp and on Face book too, which has cracked awareness of the commercial value. Also some Auction house is on the verge of putting Autographs for Auction on the floor.
My list of Autograph includes Who�s who of the world. Like.
Sardar vallabhbhai patel , Shri Morarji Deasai , Amitabh Bhachahan, Lata Mangeshkar, Sachin Tendulkar, so on and so forth.
The most memorable experience I have had is of shri Morarji Desai, to a reply to my request for Autograph, he called me up and said, �Tame Aajivan Khadi Pershotyarej hu Autograph Aapish� Ixihich was not possible as it were my hey days.
And the latest extraordinary experience is of meeting Author Amitav Ghosh at Taj mahal hotel on a one to one basis. It was a thrilling excrescence to talk with a man booker nominee, whose books are translated in 18 languages.
The funny part of Autograph collection is the use of postal stationary. In today�s tele communication times, people have almost forgotten that there exists a �post office� in every suburb of a city.
To get autograph by post we have to be equipped with postal stationary such as envelopes, stamps. I use speed post as a medium to send letters. Rarely a person knows the rate of a post card or he cannot recollect his last visit to a post office.So autograph collechry is a fun too, you get to increase your G.K.
- Article by Dhiren shah
This is an error coin from the British India period. Any type of small or big error from the British India period is said to be extremely rare, and this particular coin easily stands out to be one of its type.
Coin Description :-
Value: � rupee. Year: 1944. Mint: Bombay (now Mumbai) Metal: Silver.
Obverse: Crowned head of King George VI facing left.
Reverse: Within circle, date divides legend in English & Urdu (Chaar Aana). Outside circle, wreath made of roses, thistle, shamrock leaves and lotus flowers, all within a toothed border.
Erratum:-
Double Struck: This coin from the British India period is seen with a massive technical minting error. It�s a �double struck� error coin. This type of error is very rare and occurs when a minted coin is struck again by the coining dies before it has left the coining press completely. This usually results in a partial impression of the coin over the previously struck image as seen on the obverse and reverse faces of this coin.
This coin of the month is chosen from the collection of Shri Ashish Sejpal from Mumbai. ICCG news team hereby thanks Shri Ashish Sejpal for all his support.
The most fascinating aspect of Numismatics is the sheer breadth of its repertoire. The multitude of subjects that lend themselves for treatment in numismatics is vast. Anything that has tickled human interest since time immemorial has been consigned to this field of exploration for precise definition and elaboration. And everything inside the border of numismatics is worth knowing. The depiction of the Buddha on coins in iconic form supplements his sculptural representation through statuary, thereby contributing to and enriching our knowledge about his life, ancient art and the votive practices of the ancient societies. Not only this , even the study of Buddha images and Buddhist symbols on modern coins throws light on distinct aspects of Buddhism as practiced today in different parts of the world. For example , the Buddha images that one encounters on the coins of the South East Asian cultures such as Laos and Cambodia is very different from that of China and Mongolia which again differ from that of the Indian subcontinent such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka.
The Buddha coins have been avidly collected by numismatic enthusiasts giving rise to a small but significant sub-field within the vast mosaic of World Coin collecting. This article is written for this group of keen collectors who collect coins related to the Buddha and Buddhism.
For the purpose of this article, the ancient coins will include the ones with the images of the Buddha, or symbols definitely attributable to Buddhism or coins issued during the Buddha�s times.
The Buddha lived approximately 563 to 483 BC. Born as Siddhartha Gautama at Lumbiniin the kingdom of the Sakyas(Kapilavastu) situated on what is now the border area between India and Nepal, he left his princely abode at the age of 29 desiring to know the Truth and the path that leads to the ending of all sufferings. He renounced the world and became a wandering soul seeking the ultimate liberation from his corporeal existence and finding the path to Nirvana, the ultimate enlightenment. He achieved enlightenment at Bodhgaya and then went on to teach the Four Noble Truths , first at the deer park at Sarnath and then all over India.
The Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana at the age of 80 at Kushinagar in modern day Uttarpradesh
These double karshapanas were issued in 6th century BC and are of various sizes and shapes weighing 6.2-6.7 gms of Silver .They have a central symbol surrounded by minor punch marks. The central symbol could be a pentax , or a five crescents arranged around a solid dot, or a two crescents etc. These coins were discovered in the Narhan area of Nepal and hence are also called the Narhan Punch Mark coins.
Starting from his father Maharaja Sudhodan�s times, these coins were issued during the life time of the Buddha. Some of the central symbols such as the Dharma Chakra are considered Buddhist symbols. One coin in a private collection contains an additional punch mark/ banker�s mark of a pair of feet which some people believe that of the Buddha�s.
Kanishka I is the most famous of the Kushan emperors who had his capital at Peshawar. A Mahayana Buddhist, he sponsored the first great Buddhist conference at KanishVihar . He promoted Mahayana Buddhism, a sect that revered the life of Buddha as much as his spiritual teaching.
All the Kushana Buddha coins were issued under Kanishka I (circa 127-160 AD). They come in either gold or copper. The gold coins come as a denomination of Stater and quarter Stater. The copper coins come in the denomination of Tetradrachm, Di-dradrachm and Drachm. The copper coins also come in either standing Buddha ( Shakyamuni Buddha) or seated Buddha (Maitreya Buddha). The listing is as follows :
Gold One Stater].jpg)
(Image courtesy: Wikipaedia)
Weight: 7.9 gms in gold
Obv : Kanishka standing, legend in Greek script : ?????????? ??????? ?????? ("ShaonanoshaoKanishkiKoshano"): "King of Kings, Kanishka the Kushan".
Rev : Standing Buddha in Hellenistic style, forming the gesture of "no fear" (abhaya mudra) with his right hand, and holding a pleat of his robe in his left hand. Legend in Greek script: ????? "Boddo", for the Buddha. Kanishka monogram (tamgha) to the right.
Gold Quarter Stater].jpg)
(Image courtesy: Morton and Eden)
Obv. and Rev. same as One Stater. Weight is 1.7 gms
Copper Tetradrachm].jpg)
These coins weigh around 16 gms having a diameter of about 25 mm. These coins are generally badly worn.
Obv : Kanishka standing and facing left, crowned and holding sceptre, sacrificing at altar to left. Legend in Greek translates as �ShahanshahKanishkaKushan�
Rev : The Buddha Sakyamuni standing facing, nimbate; tamgha to left. Legend in Greek �SakamanoBoudo� translates as �Shakyamuni Buddha�.
The Buddha is represented wearing the monastic robe, the antaravasaka, the uttarasanga, and the overcoat sanghati. He has an abundant topknot covering the usnisha, An aureola surrounds him.
Individual coins may differ of the basis of the nimbate position of the Buddha i.e. to left, or to right etc.
The Di-drachm and Drachm are same as the Tetradrachm except that the weights are proportionate i.e the Di-drachm weighing around 8 gms and the Drachm weighing around 4 gms.
Copper Tetradrachm with Seated Buddha].jpg)
These coins weigh around 16 gms having a diameter of about 25 mm.
Obv : Kanishka standing facing, head left, sacrificing over altar and holding standard; [flame at right shoulder] . Legend in Greek .
Rev : The Buddha, nimbate, seated facing, raising hand in a gesture of abhayamudra (reassurance), and holding kamandal (water pot) in lap. Legend in Greek �MetragoBoudo" translates as �Maitreya Buddha�.
These coins are generally badly worn and the image of Buddha is taken from the pre-existing Gandhara statuaries. In some coins Maitreya is shown as wearing an armband.
These are the only coins issued on the Buddha during ancient times in India. These coins tell an interesting fact that these are the only coins issued during the ancient times anywhere in the world. It is also peculiar to note that since the Kushan period till now, no coins were issued on the Buddha.
References :
The media often doesn't have time for time-consuming practices as "fact checking" and "gathering some piece of knowledge on the subject � � that they report. News reporting is a fast-paced and hectic industry � On fewer occasions, in a greed of bigger, better & bitter stories in the name of news, the only way a journalist finds out, is to immediately scream every piece of news that seems vaguely plausible. Unsurprisingly, concocted words frequently slips through, like the news that ...
India is a country with varied culture and vast heritage, which has a glorious history that makes every Indian citizen to be proud of it. Full of artistic human expressions which touches human heart, India has rich numismatic treasure, too.
For decades, Indian numismatists have put in a lot of efforts in view to preserve, protect and project Indian Art and Numismatic Treasure in proper perspective and also have been creating awareness towards Indian Heritage in all its facets of art. Over the years Indian numismatics has played a major part in promoting and propagating Indian culture and heritage by popularizing all types of hobbies with special focus on numismatics and items connected with it � whether they be collection of coins, banknotes, tokens, medals and other collectibles like badges, badge plates, match box labels etc.
Following its motto � �Knowledge through hobbies�, numismatists and organizers of various coin societies have been organizing number of coin exhibitions throughout the Nation for more than 30 years. The exhibition's aim is to educate people about the need to preserve our culture and heritage. The target audience is the younger generation so that they learn about the importance of coins that depict thousands of years of history as well as cultural progress. These exhibitions also often coincide with few coin auctions wherein ancient, medieval, Mughal, Princely State, British India, Republic of India, foreign coins and paper money gets auctioned.
One of such recent three day coin exhibition at Rajkot (Coinex Rajkot 2015), organized by the �Saurashtra Kutch Coin Society� had to be cancelled in two days due to the malicious journalism by the local media. The so called journalist of the local media completely lacked any piece of numismatic knowledge whatsoever, and as a result he further misguided many people by the virtue of his negative article.
On day one, reporters from the local newspaper visited the coin exhibition and got stunned at the prices of some rare collectibles and antiquities. They just took some pictures here and there and came up with the most irresponsible article terming every exhibitor and numismatic as a �black marketeer� . As the news broke out on the second day in the local news paper, the exhibition witnessed a major drop in visitors as the news had portrayed entire numismatic in a very negative image. Further every exhibitor and collector were left puzzled and tensed with least security to their valuable collectibles surrounded with few rumors and completely unsure as to how worst the situation may turn. Though both the auctions (on the fist and the second day) got conducted uninterrupted the third day (13th June) had to be called off due to which numismatists had to bear a loss of more than 50 lakh.
Had the reporter been more responsible in gathering at least 10% of knowledge on the subject before publishing such a degrading article, the situation would have been different. The local news paper did not even bother to publish the name of the �reporter�, who did not only insult �numismatics� but also to the word �journalism�. The entire incident was highly condemned by various senior numismatists on social media network.
Hopefully in future, such �reporters� may act with more responsibility and sensibility before passing any false verdicts in the name of journalism.
The Reserve Bank of India has issued 100 rupees denomination banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi Series � 2005 with a new numbering pattern. Now the numerals in both the number panels of these banknotes will be in ascending size from left to right, while the first three alphanumeric characters (prefix) will remain constant in size.
Printing the numerals in ascending size is a visible security feature in the banknotes so that the general public can easily distinguish a counterfeit note from a genuine one.
The design of banknotes with numerals in ascending size is similar in all other respects to the current design of 100 rupees banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi Series � 2005 except for the new numbering pattern. The banknotes will continue to bear the signature of Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, and the year of printing '2015' printed on the reverse of the banknotes.
The new numbering pattern will be introduced in a phased manner in all other denominations.
'Yoga can transform lives,' Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, as he spoke on the International Yoga Day which was celebrated in India and across the world on the 21st of June, 2015.
Shortly after performing Yogaasan along with�nearly 37,000 people at Delhi's ceremonial boulevard Rajpath, PM Modi told a gathering: "Yoga reduces greed, coarseness and violence... In a world of fear, Yoga creates courage and strength."
He was speaking at the launch of a special commemorative coin to mark the Yoga Day. On this proud occasion the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), released a coin commemorating International Day of YOGA, 21st June.
On 11th December 2014, �June 21 was declared as the�International Day�of Yoga by the United�Nations�General Assembly. The declaration of this day came after the call for the adoption of 21 June as International Day of Yoga by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to US General Assembly on 27 September, 2014.
"The spread of yoga is a symbol of a changing world," he said. He added that India cannot claim yoga as its exclusive preserve. "Yoga may have originated in India but it draws its energies from the millions who practice it around the world." Booking of this coin set in denomination of rupees 100 and rupees 10 commemorating �International Day of YOGA, 21st June� is open from the 21st of June till the 21st on August 2015.
The most fascinating aspect of Numismatics is the sheer breadth of its repertoire. The multitude of subjects that lend themselves for treatment in numismatics is vast. Anything that has tickled human interest since time immemorial has been consigned to this field of exploration for precise definition and elaboration. And everything inside the border of numismatics is worth knowing. The depiction of the Buddha on coins in iconic form supplements his sculptural representation through statuary, thereby contributing to and enriching our knowledge about his life, ancient art and the votive practices of the ancient societies. Not only this , even the study of Buddha images and Buddhist symbols on modern coins throws light on distinct aspects of Buddhism as practiced today in different parts of the world. For example , the Buddha images that one encounters on the coins of the South East Asian cultures such as Laos and Cambodia is very different from that of China and Mongolia which again differ from that of the Indian subcontinent such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka.
The Buddha coins have been avidly collected by numismatic enthusiasts giving rise to a small but significant sub-field within the vast mosaic of World Coin collecting. This article is written for this group of keen collectors who collect coins related to the Buddha and Buddhism.
For the purpose of this article, the ancient coins will include the ones with the images of the Buddha, or symbols definitely attributable to Buddhism or coins issued during the Buddha�s times.
The Buddha lived approximately 563 to 483 BC. Born as Siddhartha Gautama at Lumbini in the kingdom of the Sakyas (Kapilavastu) situated on what is now the border area between India and Nepal, he left his princely abode at the age of 29 desiring to know the Truth and the path that leads to the ending of all sufferings. He renounced the world and became a wandering soul seeking the ultimate liberation from his corporeal existence and finding the path to Nirvana, the ultimate enlightenment. He achieved enlightenment at Bodhgaya and then went on to teach the Four Noble Truths , first at the deer park at Sarnath and then all over India.
The Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana at the age of 80 at Kushinagar in modern day Uttarpradesh
These double karshapanas were issued in 6th century BC and are of various sizes and shapes weighing 6.2-6.7 gms of Silver .They have a central symbol surrounded by minor punch marks. The central symbol could be a pentax , or a five crescents arranged around a solid dot, or a two crescents etc. These coins were discovered in the Narhan area of Nepal and hence are also called the Narhan Punch Mark coins.
Starting from his father Maharaja Sudhodan�s times, these coins were issued during the life time of the Buddha. Some of the central symbols such as the Dharma Chakra are considered Buddhist symbols. One coin in a private collection contains an additional punch mark/ banker�s mark of a pair of feet which some people believe that of the Buddha�s.
Kanishka I is the most famous of the Kushan emperors who had his capital at Peshawar. A Mahayana Buddhist, he sponsored the first great Buddhist conference at Kanish Vihar. He promoted Mahayana Buddhism, a sect that revered the life of Buddha as much as his spiritual teaching
All the Kushana Buddha coins were issued under Kanishka I (circa 127-160 AD). They come in either gold or copper. The gold coins come as a denomination of Stater and quarter Stater. The copper coins come in the denomination of Tetradrachm, Di-dradrachm and Drachm. The copper coins also come in either standing Buddha ( Shakyamuni Buddha) or seated Buddha (Maitreya Buddha). The listing is as follows :
(Image courtesy: Wikipaedia) | Weight: 7.9 gms in gold
Obv: Kanishka standing, legend in Greek script : ?????????? ??????? ?????? ("Shaonanoshao Kanishki Koshano"): "King of Kings, Kanishka the Kushan".
Rev: Standing Buddha in Hellenistic style, forming the gesture of "no fear" (abhaya mudra) with his right hand, and holding a pleat of his robe in his left hand. Legend in Greek script: ????? "Boddo", for the Buddha. Kanishka monogram (tamgha) to the right.
(Image courtesy: Morton and Eden) | Obv. & Rev. same as One Stater. Weight is 1.7 gms
These coins weigh around 16 gms having a diameter of about 25 mm. These coins are generally badly worn
Obv: Kanishka standing and facing left, crowned and holding sceptre, sacrificing at altar to left. Legend in Greek translates as �Shahanshah Kanishka Kushan�
Rev: The Buddha Sakyamuni standing facing, nimbate; tamgha to left. Legend in Greek �Sakamano Boudo� translates as �Shakyamuni Buddha�.
The Buddha is represented wearing the monastic robe, the antaravasaka, the uttarasanga, and the overcoat sanghati. He has an abundant topknot covering the usnisha, An aureola surrounds him.
Individual coins may differ of the basis of the nimbate position of the Buddha i.e. to left, or to right etc.
The Di-drachm and Drachm are same as the Tetradrachm except that the weights are proportionate i.e the Di-drachm weighing around 8 gms and the Drachm weighing around 4 gms.
These coins weigh around 16 gms having a diameter of about 25 mm.
Obv: Kanishka standing facing, head left, sacrificing over altar and holding standard; [flame at right shoulder]. Legend in Greek.
Rev: The Buddha, nimbate, seated facing, raising hand in a gesture of abhayamudra (reassurance), and holding kamandal (water pot) in lap. Legend in Greek �Metrago Boudo" translates as �Maitreya Buddha�.
These coins are generally badly worn and the image of Buddha is taken from the pre-existing Gandhara statuaries. In some coins Maitreya is shown as wearing an armband.
These are the only coins issued on the Buddha during ancient times in India . These coins tell an interesting fact that these are the only coins issued during the ancient times anywhere in the world. It is also peculiar to note that since the Kushan period till now, no coins were issued on the Buddha.