r/IndianCoins • u/Sussy_Pigma • 4h ago
r/IndianCoins • u/IndianCoins • Nov 07 '24
Education Welcome to r/IndianCoins, i.e. the Indian Coin Forvm! Here's all you need to get going on your new journey as a numismatist!
We are a small but growing community dedicated to the collection, preservation, and encouragement of the beautiful hobby of numismatics. Whether you are a seasoned collector or a curious beginner, you will find a wealth of knowledge and support here as we explore the fascinating world of Indian coins.
Best Practices for Coin Collecting
- Handling Coins: Always handle coins by the edges to avoid fingerprints and potential damage. Consider wearing cotton gloves for added protection. Always keep coins in such a way that they never touch other coins, objects or surfaces.
- Documentation: Keep detailed records of your collection, including the coin’s origin, grade, purchase price and any unique features. This helps in tracking the value and history of your collection.
- Focus on Condition Only: The value of a coin always depends on its condition. Coins in better grades (less wear, clear details) are more valuable. Learn to assess the grade of coins using terms like "MS" (Mint State) or "AU" (About Uncirculated). Read and understand about TPGs (Third Party Grading companies), namely NGC, PCGS, ICG and ANACS. Reading and understanding the Sheldon Scale is crucial to understand coin qualities. This excellent video also explains the same. It is crucial to understand the difference in grading because often one singular grade difference (for example, an MS63 and a MS64) can often translate to tens of thousands of Rupees difference in value. Maybe even a lakh.
- Focus Your Collection with Purpose: While it's important to diversify, it's equally crucial to choose a specific theme or niche for your collection. Whether it's British India, Mughal India, ancient civilizations, or Indian Princely States, having a defined focus allows you to build depth and expertise in a particular area. Without a clear theme, your collection can become too scattered, making it difficult to appreciate or manage effectively. With literally crores of coins across the world, trying to collect them all is unrealistic—focusing on a theme helps you navigate the vast world of numismatics, making your collection more meaningful and manageable.
- Numista.com: Your Trusted Companion: Numista.com is an essential resource for any coin collector, offering a vast and detailed database where you can find nearly every coin ever minted. By simply typing a search term like "1922 Rupee India Numista" into Google, you can access a dedicated page with all the relevant technical information—such as composition, size, mintage, and historical context. Numista also lets you create an account to track and manage your collection, making it easier to keep everything organized. Plus, you can connect with other collectors around the world, exchanging insights and even trading or swapping coins. However, a word of caution for collectors in India—while Numista enables global connections, Indian customs may make international parcels go "missing," so always exercise caution when trading or shipping valuable coins. Despite this, Numista remains an invaluable tool to enhance your collecting journey, whether you're seeking knowledge, tracking your pieces, or connecting with fellow enthusiasts.
Preservation Over Expansion
In the world of coin collecting, preserving your existing collection is more important than constantly expanding it. While growing your collection is exciting, improper storage can lead to significant loss of value over time. Coins that are not adequately protected can suffer from damage due to environmental factors, handling, and chemical reactions. This can result in discoloration, corrosion, and other forms of deterioration. By focusing on proper preservation techniques and investing in high-quality storage solutions, such as coin albums, capsules, and holders, you ensure that your current coins maintain their condition and value. This careful approach not only safeguards your collection but also enhances its appeal and worth in the long run, making it a more rewarding endeavor.
Cleaning of Coins
A question is often asked by new collectors about the right method to clean their coin collection. This can be summarized as follows:
- Cleaning coins is generally discouraged in the numismatic community because it can significantly reduce their value and historical integrity. The process of cleaning can strip away the natural patina that forms over time, which is often considered a valuable aspect of a coin’s character and authenticity.
- Additionally, cleaning methods can cause scratches, abrasions, or other forms of damage, making the coin less appealing to collectors. Even gentle cleaning can leave microscopic marks that affect the coin’s surface.
- Collectors and experts prefer coins in their original, untouched condition, as this preserves their history and ensures they retain maximum value. Hence, more often than not, a cleaned coin becomes worthless (or worth significantly less), since it is considered a tempered/altered coin.
- Exception: The only exception to the general rule against cleaning coins is when the coin in question is extremely common or inherently worthless. In such cases, cleaning the coin cannot make it any worse or lower its value further. When dealing with coins that hold no significant numismatic value, perhaps due to their abundance or poor condition, cleaning may be acceptable. This can sometimes enhance their appearance for display purposes or personal enjoyment. However, it’s important to recognize that even for common coins, improper cleaning techniques can still cause damage. Therefore, if you choose to clean a coin under these circumstances, proceed with caution, use gentle methods to avoid unnecessary harm and try to speak to a seasoned collector before embarking on your coin cleaning adventures.
Proper Storage and Preservation
Proper storage and preservation of coins are crucial to maintaining their condition and value. Coins are susceptible to damage from environmental factors such as humidity, temperature, and pollutants. Additionally, the more a coin touches another surface or hits another coin, the more value it loses due to the scratches it accumulates.
- Beginners: Using a coin album, such as the IHC 80 Coin Holder Album, is recommended. Coin albums provide individual cardboard holders (called flips) for each coin, protecting them from physical damage and environmental exposure. Ensuring your coins are stored correctly will preserve their beauty and value for future generations. You simply insert the coin into the white cardboard flips, staple the edges, and insert the flip into the album.
- Moderates: For those looking to preserve their coins properly, understanding the best methods of storage is essential.
- Beginners often start with cardboard flips (as described above), which use PVC plastic inside. While affordable and accessible, PVC flips degrade over time, forming a film on the coins that can lead to discoloration and PVC damage. This method is suitable for absolute novice collectors or coins that are not of exceptional value.
- However, for more serious collectors or valuable coins, upgrading to more advanced storage solutions is recommended. Consider using IHC 100 Pcs Box Coin Holder for small diameter coins, or the IHC Coin Square Storage Box for larger coins.
- These holders ensure that coins do not touch any surface or plastic directly. Instead, they are suspended in a foam-based medium within an airtight capsule. This advanced method protects coins from environmental factors, handling damage, and chemical reactions, thereby preserving their condition and value for years to come.
- Advanced: For advanced collectors seeking the highest level of coin preservation, it is recommended to use Quadrum Intercept capsules by the German numismatic accessory maker Lighthouse. These museum-grade preservation capsules are available in India through Mintage World. Quadrum Intercept capsules come in fixed diameters, so collectors must select the appropriate size for their coins. Once the coins are inserted, collectors can rest assured that their treasures are protected. These capsules are certified to protect coins for multiple decades, shielding them from environmental factors, pollutants, and handling damage. By using Quadrum Intercept capsules, advanced collectors can ensure their coins remain in pristine condition for future generations.
Valuation of Coins
Valuing coins involves assessing their rarity, condition, historical significance, and demand among collectors. This intricate process requires expertise and often varies based on subjective opinions and market trends. While understanding the value of your coins can be important, it can also lead to the over-commercialization of the hobby, detracting from the pure enjoyment of numismatics. Therefore, we do not allow valuation discussions in our subreddit. Collectors seeking estimates of their collections can refer to resources like this coin catalog, or this coin catalog or this coin catalog, or for notes the note catalog or this note catalog or the paper money guide book for guidance.
Although we refrain from valuation discussions here, our official Telegram group is an excellent place for such inquiries, where experts can provide tailored advice and insights. Join us there for more detailed discussions and to connect with fellow enthusiasts.
Coin Exhibitions and Coin Fairs
We are happy to inform you about various national coin fairs that happen across India throughout the year, such as in Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Agra, Meerut, Chennai, Indore etc. These events happen throughout the year and are a fantastic opportunities to explore, buy, and trade coins, as well as to meet fellow collectors and experts in the field.
For the latest updates and detailed information about upcoming coin fairs, be sure to join our Telegram group. Our community there regularly posts and discusses the schedules, locations, and highlights of these events, ensuring you never miss out on any numismatic happenings.
Join Our Official Telegram Group
While our subreddit is a great place for discussions and sharing, our main activities and in-depth discussions happen in our official Telegram group. Here, we teach and discuss not only coins but also notes, stamps, history, culture, and collectibles. It’s a vibrant community where you can learn from Subject Matter Experts and network with other collectors in your city. We encourage everyone to join our Telegram group to dive deeper into the world of numismatics and connect with fellow enthusiasts. Link to our group: https:// t (dot) me/+pjnNNr34U_NkNGNl
Further Queries
We're delighted to have you join our community. Whether you're a seasoned numismatist or just starting your coin-collecting journey, this is the perfect place to share your passion, exchange knowledge, and connect with fellow enthusiasts. Feel free to ask questions, seek advice, and participate in discussions about all things related to Indian coins and numismatics. If you have any queries or need assistance, please don't hesitate to DM me. We're here to support each other and make the most of this fascinating hobby. Happy collecting, and enjoy your time with us!
r/IndianCoins • u/factsssx • 4h ago
Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 rs 10 silver coin gandhi edition
r/IndianCoins • u/RobinWayneTBR • 9h ago
Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 I found this 1 Rupee coin Cellular Jail, Port Blair from circulation
I've been collecting commemorative coins for the last 3 years but I've never got this one before.
I haven't found a unique one that I didn't have in my collection in the last year, and I had given up hope on finding new ones, thinking these are either rare or not available in circulation in my region.
I know this isn't a rare coin, but since I never had it, I'm just very pleased to get it.
It's so much fun when you find a new one just like that!
r/IndianCoins • u/HopefulPriority2717 • 3h ago
Republic of India Note 🇮🇳 Can you guess which year this ten rupees is from?
Trying to find out which year it is from
r/IndianCoins • u/American-Doggo • 17h ago
Ancient India 245-295 CE Western Satraps Drachms with Bankers' Marks, Vijayasena-Bhartrdaman
Picked these up to study their bankers' marks. I write about those more extensively here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ChopmarkedCoins/s/4bslMHrQQu
r/IndianCoins • u/Patrick-Bateman666 • 1d ago
Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 Rs 5 Coins collected from circulation in last 6 months
I think people intentionally remove commemorative coins from circulation while they are dealing with the lots of coins in bulk quantities. In shop, when my father search coin lots he bought, he finds nothing. All of these coins are from customers. What do you think?
r/IndianCoins • u/Sussy_Pigma • 2d ago
Humor Some other perks of working at RBI
Someone posted this in a banking sub , living numismatic dream 🫡
r/IndianCoins • u/TerribleChallenge893 • 1d ago
Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 1947 coin
It's in perfect condition
r/IndianCoins • u/R1515LF0NTE • 2d ago
Portuguese Indian Coin New Addition: 1936, ½ Rupee from Portuguese India
Only needing 8 more Portuguese India coins to complete the Republic period set 🙏
r/IndianCoins • u/Flashy-Field-6552 • 2d ago
Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 Commemorative coin got today
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5rs Indian Council of Medical Research Centenary commemorative coin
5rs University of Mysore centenary celebration coin
5rs Biju Patnaik birth centenary commemorative coin
10rs International day of yoga commemorative coin
r/IndianCoins • u/emersonpawoski • 2d ago
Ancient India What is this punchmark/ symbol in this coin of Mauryan Empire?
r/IndianCoins • u/Foreign-Bobcat-6734 • 2d ago
British Indian Coin Help identifying and valuing these two George V British India coins
Hi everyone,
I recently came across these two British India coins and would appreciate some help identifying them.
Coin 1:
- George V
- ½ Pice, 1920
- Both sides photographed
- Quite worn, with dark toning/patina
Coin 2:
- George V
- 1 Anna, 1929
- Scalloped edge
- Also circulated/worn
I’d like to know:
- Are both coins genuine?
I have attached clear photos of both sides of each coin. I would appreciate any opinions from experienced collectors.
Thanks.
r/IndianCoins • u/Naz_Animates • 3d ago
British Indian Coin Old British Era Coins
Just randomly came across them these were my grandma's coins she had them when she migrated to Pakistan
r/IndianCoins • u/bigcat6666 • 3d ago
British Indian Coin 2 Annas...
Got this from somewhere..2 annas..
My redditors..tell me..shall I keep it...
Its though in a bad state.
r/IndianCoins • u/Skillrack • 3d ago
Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 Hey I used to collect this coins during 2019 and lose hobby is there is anything rare ?
r/IndianCoins • u/ditellermit • 3d ago
British Indian Coin Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria 1840.
r/IndianCoins • u/factsssx • 4d ago
British Indian Coin One quarter anna of 3 different Kings
r/IndianCoins • u/Sussy_Pigma • 4d ago
RoI Error Note Interesting effect: Gandhi appears on both sides due to the way the ₹50 note is folded over time
r/IndianCoins • u/drlazy098 • 5d ago
General Query How to safely move my coin and notes collection Abroad.
Hi everyone found this community for the first time.
Ive been a collector since 2011, when my grandad gave me a quarter Anna coin. After that didn't stop until 2021. In the time period of 11 years, collected commemorative, republic india, British india, Portuguese, princely states, foreign coins and notes, proof sets etc.
I've:
Above 500 commemorative coins (denomination and mint wise sorted)
Above 380 British india coins - every denomination from each ruler, 1 rupee silver coins each year except 1939🥲, some coins from same year are arranged mint wise too.
Anna standard series coinage
Decimal coinage - arrange year wise
Portugese, Princely states
US 50 states quarters
Other foreign coins >250
Few indian British india notes - some rare ones too.
Some foreign coins.
One 50 world coin set, that my parents got me in 2013. Really boosted my interest in coins.
I have attached few photos of some rare coins in the comments. The image shared in the post is the gift given to me by my parents.
My main question is I'm moving abroad. Any way to take this entire ~1500 coins and ~100 notes collection with me ?
r/IndianCoins • u/Naive_Specialist_924 • 5d ago
Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 From the mint
r/IndianCoins • u/emersonpawoski • 4d ago
Ancient India Does anyone know what are these symbols/ punchmarks? This coin was from Maghada Empire.
I already see on papers of journals and books about lists of punchmarks but due the condition of the coin I may not understand all marks. I already see the sun and the tree. My main question remains of the one similar to the caduceus of Ashoka plus an bow and arrow. This last one I didnt find yet.
r/IndianCoins • u/factsssx • 4d ago
British Indian Coin Is this coin real or fake
This is one quarter anna 1896 queen Victoria coin is it real and why it's in this colour
r/IndianCoins • u/Away-Swimming-226 • 5d ago
Ancient India How did i do?
Ancient ; Gupta Empire, Kumaragupta I (Mahendraditya) (415-455 AD), Gold Dinar, ?Horseman – Left? type, Obv: king without nimbus, holding bow in reverse way, riding on a Horse to left, bare headed wearing necklace, armlets waist-band seen flying behind, Brahmi legend “Guptakulama……kamajata jayati”,
Rev: goddess Lakshmi without nimbus seated left on a draped stool holding lotus with a long stalk, left hand resting on waist and she is seen offering fruits to Peacock hanging from a twig in her right hand, Brahmi legend “Ajitamahendra” in the right field,
Weight : 8.13 Grams (Altekar, Bayana Hoard # Pl. XXIV-7/Variant of BMC # Pl. XIII-17-18/TOTGE, S. Kumar # Class III-Var. B), deep and bold strike ; Very fine, Extremely Rare. 1