TIRUCHY: Exchanged and stocked by about 1.2 billion people and being in circulation across four nations, the Indian Rupee got its new insignia on July 5, 2010. Designed by D Udaya Kumar, a native of Tamil Nadu, it was selected from among the 3,331 entries by government. What inspired and helped him in coming out with the design which is unique and yet with a distinctive flavour? It was numismatics, he says.
Inaugurating a three-day coin show here on Friday, Udaya Kumar said numismatists and information provided by coin collectors on ancient monetary system had helped him greatly in designing the present rupee symbol.
Speaking to Express, he said “It is certainly not an overstatement. I had accessed the records and researches made on centuries-old monetary system of ancient India.”
The expo has about 30 stalls displaying collections of more than 100 collectors from five States. An interactive session between school children and the designer of Indian rupee was also held wherein the kids raised various questions pertaining to the design of Indian rupee and role of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in framing monetary policy.
Udaya Kumar, an assistant professor at IIT-Guwahati, said, "Teachers should realise that they play crucial role in shaping the future of children. Constructive hobbies and passion such as coin collection and philately would help students to gain knowledge about history and prominent leaders. Both parents and teachers should nurture such habits among school kids.”
Tiruchirapalli Notaphily Society president P Vijayakumar said the coin expo would be held till Sunday and dozens of schools have been requested to bring their students and have a feel of coins and currencies from 210 countries with face value habitsanging from paise to crores.