Note Worthy

Here is some information that is difficult to find in history books. When Subhash Chandra Bose and his associates were campaigning for volunteers for the Indian National Army...

Written by Vandana Kalra

April 13, 2009 02:56 AM IST

3 min read

An exhibition of currency notes and coins throws up some interesting items,like a Rs 1,000 note of INA with Bose shaking hands with Hitler

Here is some information that is difficult to find in history books. When Subhash Chandra Bose and his associates were campaigning for volunteers for the Indian National Army,artists were designing currency notes that could be circulated if their movement became successful. On a Rs 1,000 note,their battle cry Jai Hind was printed at the centre and it bore a picture of Bose shaking hands with Hitler. Issued under the authority of the Bank of Independent,the note never went into circulation,but Vivek Sardana has it in his collection that comprises four notes designed for the INA. I found these with a dealer in Delhi some years ago. Till then I was not aware that such notes existed, says Sardana,52,as he glances at the notes on display under a glass panel at a two-day exhibition that begins today at Dilli Haat,Pitampura.

The aim of the exhibition is to trace Indian history through its currency, says Arvind Chandra,president,Delhi Coin Society. The show features the collection of three Delhi-based numismatists. While Rajesh Jain has coins issued between the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal era,till the rule of Akbar II,

AK Bahl has on exhibition coins issued in the princely states from 1800 to 1947. Sardana,meanwhile,has divided his collection into different categories,ranging from notes issued in independent India to the error series that comprises notes that are imperfect,such as a Rs 5 note,issued in the mid-1990s,which is printed only on one side.

A glimpse into Jains glass box will reveal that Nur Jahan,wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir,also had a Re 1 coin issued on her. This is rare. It was in circulation for a short period, says Jain,looking at the silver coin procured from a jewellery shop in Bhopal. I just paid the price of the metal, adds Jain,55,who started collecting coins 40 years ago.

Bahl has also been collecting coins for a similar number of years. His collection includes a larin,a hairpin-shaped currency from Deccan that dates back to the rule of Adil Shah. In an envelope,he has a silver anna from Mewar and placed next to it is an Edward VIII coin from Kutch. Not many coins are dedicated to him, notes Bahl.

Through the exhibition,the trio hope to inspire others to collect currency,but their collection is still not complete. We are constantly adding, smiles Jain,who is searching for a coin issued by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. Sardana has a tattered Rs 10,000 note in his collection,but he is looking for a Rs 5,000. These were in circulation from 1950 to 1977. Not many could afford it due to the high value, he says.

Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More

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