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Journalism of Courage
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.
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.
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