MUSEUM OF INDIAN PAPER MONEY

From a pre-Independence era currency note with a message for the British to ‘Quit India', to a much recent political message, ‘Jai Telangana', scribbled on a demonetised Rs 1,000 note, a new museum in the city houses them all.

Businessman Rezwan Razack on Saturday unveiled the Museum of Indian Paper Money at Prestige Falcon Towers on Brunton Road. This is the second such museum in the country; the first was established by RBI in Mumbai.

Filled with paper notes that evolved in the country even before the British Rule, the museum has over 700 artefacts collected over a span of 20 years. It also houses artefacts contributed by several numismatists.

The museum was conceptualised three years ago, and a team worked to ensure it matched international standards. It has a special lighting system and data-logging facility in each of the exhibit sections. The exhibits are placed in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment to make sure the paper does not wither.

"If we ask our elders for an old coin, they can easily produce one. But not a currency note, which is tougher to maintain. This museum ensures that history is preserved through paper notes. Visitors will get to witness how the country changed through the years," Razack told reporters.

Curated in chronological order, the currency includes early notes of private and presidency banks, uniface notes of Colonial India, portrait notes of British monarchs and the recently released ones. One of the oldest notes is from 1812 and another is a high-denomination note of Rs 10,000. Razack said, "Every note tells a story. One was given to me by a Portugal man who contacted me through email. It took me over six months to get it."

A Hyderabad Rs 10 note which was lost in a shipwreck in 1932 and was salvaged later was the cynosure of all eyes on Saturday. It is autographed by the team of rescuers belonging to an Italian vessel.

Bazil Shaikh, author and former RBI secretary, said the museum is comprehensive when it comes to documentation and research. The museum will have orientation panels for kids and a souvenir shop; it will have an online presence. Entry fee is Rs 100.

SLICES OF HISTORY: The oldest currency note on display at the Museum of Indian Paper Money is from 1812; Rs 50 and Rs 500 notes issued by Portugal in Goa in 1924

To read the complete article, see:
South India's first currency museum opens in Bengaluru (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/south-indias-first-currency-museum-opens-in-bengaluru/articleshow/74156948.cms)

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