MYSURU:Did you know about ‘pig rupee’ and ‘elephant rupee’, the coins which were in circulation in British India during early 19th century? Did you know Somalia had coins in the shape of ‘guitar’ and Bermuda in the shape of Bermuda Triangle?
If not, then numismatic P K Keshva Murty’s expo of rare coins and currency notes held at the Regional Telecom Training Centre (RTTC) at T K layout in the city was an enlightening experience. The three-day expo had coins belonging to various dynasties and countries behind which there are interesting stories.
Elaborating on the ‘pig rupee’ and the ‘elephant rupee’, Murthy said the first ever issues of one rupee, 1/2 rupee, 1/4 rupee, 2 anna and 1/4 anna coins minted in 1911, had the images of King George V with an elephant image on his robe.
Since, the elephant’s trunk was small, it looked like a pig and thus it came to be known as ‘pig rupee’. It led to a controversy as Muslims objected to it. Later in 1912, the elephant trunk was stretched longer in the new coins which came to be known as ‘elephant rupee’ .
Now the ‘controversial’ coins minted in 1911 are in demand among numismatics. The pig rupee is priced at Rs 2,000 while the elephant rupee fetches Rs 700.
Silver Larin, which was one of the early types of currencies in vogue during the rule of Ali Adil Shah-II of Bijapur Sultanate is a ‘special coin’ because of its hairpin-like shape. Coins made of gold and minted during the Tanjavore Marathas had an impression of ‘dagger’ which is rare.
Even the coins minted during Hyder Ali period are interesting as they signify how even the currencies got changed as power changed hands. While the images of Lord Eshwara and Goddess Parvati are in the obverse, the reverse has the first alphabet of Hyder Ali’s name in Urdu.
Murthy who has been collecting rare coins and currencies for the last 30 years has not kept count of his prized possessions. He also has erroneous currencies printed by the Reserve Bank of India and found their way into bundles of notes by mistake. A BSNLengineer, Murthy has collections that date back to 5 BC including punch mark coins. He has coins of about 200 countries including Roman and Greek empires worth about Rs 50 lakh.