Indian 10 rupee bimetal: commemorative

10 rupee, gur ta gaddi

This coin was released on the occasion of 300 years of gur ta gaddi, or the consecration of Guru Granth Sahab, the holy book of the Sikhs, as the last Sikh guru. This happened at Nanded in Maharshatra with the parlok gaman(or death) of the last Sikh guru to be embodied, Guru Gobind Singh. In his last moments he proclaimed Guru Granth Sahab to be the embodiment of the ten gurus. Guru Gobind Singh Ji's last sermon:

"agya bhai akal ki tabhi chalayo panth,

sabh sikhan ko hukam hai guru manyo granth.

guru granth ji manyo pragat guran ki deh.

jo prabh ko milna chahe khoj shabad me le."

This means that the panth or sect was started under orders of the almighty. All the Sikhs are hereby ordered to accept Guru Granth Sahab as their Guru. Guru Granth sahab has to be regarded as representing the guru's body. Those who wish to meet the Guru can find their way through the hymns in the granth.

Guru Granth Sahab contains 1430 pages of text in poetry form. The Bible was not written by Jesus Christ, nor was the Koran written by the prophet Mohammed, but Guru Granth Sahab was written by the gurus themselves, from Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Guru Gobind Singh ji. Guru Granth sahab is also regarded as the eleventh guru.

The released coin is the first ever bimetallic commemorative of republic India. This one was not released for circulation but as a single coin UNC set by the Hyderabad mint. Now the Mumbai mint has also released such a single coin set.

10 rupee, Homi Bhabha

Homi Jehangir Bhabha was an Indian nuclear physicist who played a major role in the development of the Indian atomic energy program and is considered to be the father of India's nuclear program. Bhabha was born into a prominent family, through which he was related to Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Homi K Bhabha and Dorab Tata. After receiving his early education at Bombay schools and at the Royal Institute of Science, he attended Caius College of Cambridge University to pursue studies in mechanical engineering. After taking mechanical engineering, he pursued studies under Paul Dirac to complete the Mathematics Tripos. Meanwhile, he worked at the Cavendish Laboratory while working towards his doctorate in theoretical physics under R. H. Fowler. During this time, he embarked on groundbreaking research into the absorption of cosmic rays and electron shower production. Afterward, he published a string of widely-accepted papers on his theories regarding cosmic ray showers.

World War II broke out in September 1939 while Bhabha was vacationing in India. He chose to remain in India until the war ended. In the meantime, he accepted a position at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, headed by Nobel laureate C. V. Raman. He established the Cosmic Ray Research Unit at the institute, and began to work on the theory of the movement of point particles. In 1945, he established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay, and the Atomic Energy Commission of India three years later. In the 1950s, Bhabha represented India in International Atomic Energy Forums, and served as President of the United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in Geneva, Switzerland in 1955. He was awarded Padma Bhushan by Government of India in 1954. He later served as the member of the Indian Cabinet's Scientific Advisory Committee and set up the Indian National Committee for Space Research with Vikram Sarabhai. In January 1966, Bhabha died in a plane crash near Mont Blanc, while heading to Vienna, Austria to attend a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Scientific Advisory Committee.Conspiracy theories point to sabotage by the cIA in an attempt to impede India's nuclear program, but his death remains a mystery till date.

He has been awarded the Salomon studentship and the travelling studentship in Mathematics inn 1931-32, the senior studentship in Cambridge in 1951, Padma Bhushan in 1954.He is also known as the 'father of India's atomic energy program.' After his death, the atomic energy establishment was renamed Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC) in his honour.

This 10 rupee coin is the first ever bimetallic coin to be released for circulation in India.

Bhagat singh error set(Proof)

Bhagat singh error set cover

The recently released Bhagat singh sets have a horrible error on them: the name is written as SAGAT SINGH instead of Bhagat singh in Hindi, not once but twice. Also, 'janmshati' has been spelled as 'janmshaati'. The latter error is not too much a matter of concern but the first one is. Bhagat Singh is a national hero who is also known as "shaheed-e-azam" or the king of martyrs as he was the first one to be hanged in India's struggle for freedom, along with Rajguru and Sukhdev. Not many people knew about Bhagat Singh and his contribution to India's freedom struggle before Manoj Kumar portrayed the role of Bhagat Singh in his movie Shaheed in 1965 and immortalized songs like mera rang de basanti chola, ae watan and pagri sambhal jatta . I don't know about before but now Bhagat Singh is part of History curricula in schools these days, and children are taught about Bhagat Singh just as Manoj Kumar had his mission of infusing the youth with courage and self sacrifice through his movie Shaheed.

I have seen and heard errors like missing date, die crack error, die rotation etc. but for me, this one takes the cake in terms of the shocking quotient. I mean, just how can someone make a mistake of erroneously changing the name of a national hero in a process that is supposed to be foolproof? Would such an error not be seen by anyone in the mint before the packaging is done, the sets are packed and dispatched? And that begets another question: is the error deliberate? I know this is quite serious, but that possibility is not zero. As it is, some collector noticed the error and notified the mint. So they canceled whatever production was still in process or was being dispatched and the faulty sets, and the whole process started was started afresh. So now further shipping should be free of error. From a collector's point of view, these error sets are very rare and highly valuable.

Bhagat Singh error set obverse

Reverse

Bhagat singh 5 rupee coin

Bhagat Singh 100 rupee obverse

Bhagat Singh 100 rupee reverse

UNC set: Louis Braille

Louis Braille UNC set cover

Obverse

Reverse

Story in Hindi

Story in English

Coin details

Louis Braille 2 rupee

Louis Braille 100 rupee obverse

Louis Braille 100 rupee reverse

Louis Braille was born in 1809 and his contribution to literacy of blind people is no stranger to anyone. His bicentennial was recognized the world over through events, coins, stamps etc. in 2009. Various countries have released coins on Louis Braille bicentennial and this is one of them. A number of different countries have issued coins on the bicentennial of Louis Braille, and I am looking particularly for a silver dollar released in the US.

The lettering on the reverse below figure in Braille script reads: L.BRL , short for Louis Braille.

There was a time, not long ago, when most people thought that blind people could never learn to read. People thought that the only way to read was to look at words with your eyes.

A young French boy named Louis Braille thought otherwise. Blind from the age of three, young Louis desperately wanted to read. He realized the vast world of thought and ideas that was locked out to him because of his disability. And he was determined to find the key to this door for himself, and for all other blind persons.

This story begins in the early part of the nineteenth century. Louis Braille was born in 1809, in a small village near Paris. His father made harnesses and other leather goods to sell to the other villagers. Louis' father often used sharp tools to cut and punch holes in the leather.

One of the tools he used to makes holes was a sharp awl. An awl is a tool that looks like a short pointed stick, with a round, wooden handle. While playing with one of his father's awls, Louis' hand slipped and he accidentally poked one of his eyes. At first the injury didn't seem serious, but then the wound became infected. A few days later young Louis lost sight in both his eyes. The first few days after becoming blind were very hard.

But as the days went by Louis learned to adapt and learned to lead an otherwise normal life. He went to school with all his friends and did well at his studies. He was both intelligent and creative. He wasn't going to let his disability slow him down one bit.As he grew older, he realized that the small school he attended did not have the money and resources he needed. He heard of a school in Paris that was especially for blind students. Louis didn't have to think twice about going. He packed his bags and went off to find himself a solid education.When he arrived at the special school for the blind, he asked his teacher if the school had books for blind persons to read. Louis found that the school did have books for the blind to read.These books had large letters that were raised up off the page. Since the letters were so big, the books themselves were large and bulky. More importantly, the books were expensive to buy. The school had exactly fourteen of them.Louis set about reading all fourteen books in the school library. He could feel each letter, but it took him a long time to read a sentence. It took a few seconds to reach each word and by the time he reached the end of a sentence, he almost forgot what the beginning of the sentence was about. Louis knew there must be a better way.There must be a way for a blind person to quickly feel the words on a page. There must be a way for a blind person to read as quickly and as easily as a sighted person.That day he set himself the goal of thinking up a system for blind people to read. He would try to think of some alphabet code to make his 'finger reading' as quick and easy as sighted reading.

Now Louis was a tremendously creative person. He learned to play the cello and organ at a young age. He was so talented an organist that he played at churches all over Paris. Music was really his first love. It also happened to be a steady source of income. Louis had great confidence in his own creative abilities. He knew that he was as intelligent and creative as any other person his own age. And his musical talent showed how much he could accomplish when given a chance.

One day chance walked in the door. Somebody at the school heard about an alphabet code that was being used by the French army. This code was used to deliver messages at night from officers to soldiers. The messages could not be written on paper because the soldier would have to strike a match to read it. The light from the match would give the enemy a target at which to shoot. The alphabet code was made up of small dots and dashes. These symbols were raised up off the paper so that soldiers could read them by running their fingers over them. Once the soldiers understood the code, everything worked fine. Louis got hold of some of this code and tried it out. It was much better than reading the gigantic books with gigantic raised letters.

But the army code was still slow and cumbersome. The dashes took up a lot of space on a page. Each page could only hold one or two sentences. Louis knew that he could improve this alphabet in some way. On his next vacation home, he would spend all his time working on finding a way to make this improvement. When he arrived home for school vacation, he was greeted warmly by his parents.

His mother and father always encouraged him on his music and other school projects. Louis sat down to think about how he could improve the system of dots and dashes. He liked the idea of the raised dots, but could do without the raised dashes. As he sat there in his father's leather shop, he picked up one of his father's blunt awls. The idea came to him in a flash. The very tool which had caused him to go blind could be used to make a raised dot alphabet that would enable him to read. The next few days he spent working on an alphabet made up entirely of six dots. The position of the different dots would represent the different letters of the alphabet. Louis used the blunt awl to punch out a sentence. He read it quickly from left to right. Everything made sense. It worked...

And thus, we got the Braille script, which enabled thousands of blind people around the world to read, and give and take ideas and knowledge with the world.

How to clean your coins?

Disclaimer: The material posted below has to be considered as my opinion only and if anyone wants to benefit from it, then he or she is free to do so. All the same, I will not be held responsible for any damages incurred to your coins when you are following my advice. I am not liable for any sort of indemnities due to degrading of the coins or any abrasions that occur while cleaning.

Tips:
The first thing to remember while cleaning your coins is that coin cleaning is not something that has to be done on a regular basis, or just to show that you are a clean person. What I mean is, it has to be kept in mind that cleaning may well cause decrease in the value of the coin. So, if the coin is one having high value or you are not sure on how to clean it then it is always preferable not to clean the coin. Anyone would not like to clean a UNC coin for one, even though it may have a coat of dust on it as cleaning it would result in loss of the original mint luster. Many collectors are interested in buying coins in their natural uncleaned state. Never clean any coin with tarnish remover or polish as removing the tarnish can cause small spots or abrasions which reduce the value. Remember that you cannot unclean an improperly cleaned coin.

Take your coins to a professional for cleaning and make it a habit to handle the coin from the edges as otherwise you are liable to leave your fingerprints on the coin. If your coins are so corroded that many details are not visible, then take them to some professional for advice.

If you absolutely must clean your coins then do so in a way which is least harmful to the condition of the coin. Experiment first on low value coins like foreign coins you can get from sellers on pavements before you go forward with cleaning your valuables. DO NOT use any harsh chemicals, metal brush etc which result in a smooth and shiny surface.

If you are selling any cleaned coins, then you must make this information prior knowledge to the buyer.

Silver coins:
Silver coins sometimes acquire a greenish or violet toning over time which can enhance the desirability of the coin. This should not be cleaned. If dirt has accumulated on the coin then you may clean the coin but remember that many collectors don't like to buy a coin that has been cleaned, or looks like it has been cleaned. You can clean silver coin with toothpaste foam and a soft toothbrush. The toothbrush has to be used carefully so that it does not cause any sort of abrasions.

Note: using toothpaste is advisable if there are black sulphide deposits on the surface of the coin, but it also takes away the shine of a UNC coin. For cleaning an XF coin it is ok, but to clean a silver coin having grade above XF, that is AUNC or UNC, it is better off cleaned with lemon so as not to lose the mint lustre.

Storage of silver coins is always an issue as they they react with sulfur present in the surroundings and turn black. If you keep the silver coins in plastic pouches or wrapped in paper, then they are bound to react with the sulfur and turn completely black, making them completely undesirable. Tarnished coins may be desirable but blackened coins are not. Silver coins should always be stored in coin holders available with the dealers which have a non-sulfur film.

Copper coins:
Copper is a metal which is probably the most reactive among all metals used to mint coins and it oxidizes very rapidly. Frequent or improper cleaning can very easily cause loss of metal and loss of value. Copper coins can be cleaned with dilute lemon juice and soft toothbrush and then rinsed. Remember that copper coins, though usually having low value and being easily available; are ruined very easily. I do not clean old copper coins which have a brown appearance as they should look that way only. They can be easily stored in plastic pouches. Copper coins start corroding the day after they are cleaned.

I have come to the conclusion that copper coins cannot be cleaned so easily. If stored improperly say in local coin albums, they soon become green because of reaction with the moisture, and cleaning with even lime would cause erosion of the metal and the resulting coin would be undesirable. Water would also react with copper so it cannot be cleaned with water. Copper coins are best left uncleaned or maybe given to some professional cleaner for cleaning.

Nickel coins:
Nickel coins can be cleaned with soap, water and toothbrush. Let the coin be dipped in the soap for 1-2 hours and then it can be scrubbed with the brush.

Rinsing can be done easily with a piece of cloth.

Expensive artificial cleaners available at shops should be avoided. DO NOT clean gold coins with jewelery cleaner . Neither should you dip silver coins in silver dip or polish them.

The methods and materials that I have listed here are definitely not professional ones, but they are the best possible solution in minimum cost. They are for the rational economic man. I DO NOT have any sort of experience in cleaning any valuable coins. The plus point of my methods is that just about anyone can clean their home very easily with little expertise or effort. I have focused more on providing the guidelines rather than the methods. This article is not copy pasted from somewhere, rather it comes from my own experience. Hope this will prove beneficial for beginners. I may edit this article in the future.

BIG Thanks!
Kulraj Singh

Lithuania Litai

Lithuania 1 centas, 1991

Lithuania 2 centai, 1991

Lithuania 5 centai, 1991

10 centai, 1997

Lithuania 2 Litai, 1999

The coat of arms of Lithuania, consisting of an armor-clad knight on horseback holding an olden sword and shield, is also known as Vytis ("the Chaser"). The Lithuanian coat of arms is one of the oldest national coat of arms in Europe. It is one of very few, containing symbolism adopted from ducal portrait seals rather than from coat of arms of dynasties, which is the case for most European countries.

Heraldic shield features the field Gules (red) with an armored knight on a horse salient Argent (white). The knight is holding in his dexter hand a sword Argent above his head. A shield Azure hangs on the sinister shoulder of the knight with a double cross Or (yellow) on it. The horse saddle, straps, and belts are Azure. The hilt of the sword and the fastening of the sheath, the stirrups, the curb bits of the bridle, the horseshoes, as well as the decoration of the harness, are Or (gold).

The blazon is the following:

Gules, a knight armed cap-à-pie mounted on a horse salient argent, brandishing a sword proper and maintaining a shield azure charged with a cross of Lorraine Or.

Hong Kong cent

Hong Kong is a small island near China. It is a former British colony which was reverted back to control of the people's republic of China on July 1, 1997. It has been a haven for fishermen-pirates and opium smugglers, and was acceded to the British in 1842 after the conclusion of the first Opium War(1839-1842). The legends on the coins of Hong Kong have been bilingual for a long time with both English and Chinese writings on them; and even after being acceded to China, Hong Kong retains its currency.

10 cent, 1982

20 cent, 1995

20 cent, 1975

50 cent, 1994

50 cent, 1977

Hong Kong Dollar

Hong Kong 1 dollar, 1978

Weight: 7.1gm

Metal: copper-nickel

Diameter: 25.5mm

Reverse: upright crowned lion with orb

Obverse: Elizabeth II

Hong Kong 1 dollar, 1998

Metal: copper nickel

Weight: 7.1gm

Diameter: 25.5mm

Obverse: Bauhunia flower

Hong Kong 2 dollar, 1994

Weight: 8.4gm

Diameter: 28mm

Metal: copper nickel

shape: scalloped

Hong Kong 5 dollar, 1997

Weight: 13.4gm

Metal: copper nickel

Diameter: 27mm

Bauhinia is a genus of more than 200 species of flowering plants in the subfamily Cæsalpinioideae of the large flowering plant family Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution. The genus was named after the Bauhin brothers, Swiss-French botanists.

Many species are widely planted in the tropics as "orchid trees", particularly in northern India, Vietnam and southeastern China. In the United States of America, the tree grows in Hawaii, coastal California, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Bauhinia blakeana is the floral emblem of Hong Kong, and a stylized orchid tree flower appears on the Hong Kong flag. It is sometimes called Hong Kong orchid tree.

Thailand 1,2 Baht

1 Baht, 2008

The new one baht coin has a palace on the reverse and the king's photo on the obverse.

1 Baht, 1962

This is an old one baht coin. In this one we have the coat of arms of Siam(the then name of the now Thailand) in traditional heraldic style. This one was designed during the reign of King Chulalongkorn(Rama V).

The description of the coat of arms may be a little hard to understand but here it is:
The Shield, is divided into three quadrants. The first quadrant depicts a mythological three-headed white elephant, or Erawan (in Hindu mythology called Airavata), the vehicle of the god Indra, the creature is set on a yellow field. This quadrant represents the Kingdom of Siam and the Thai heartland, the three heads of the elephant represents the northern, central and southern Siam. The lower left quadrant depicts a white elephant in front of a red field. This quadrant represents the Laotian suzerainty (the symbol comes for its native name "Lan Xang", land of the million elephants.). The lower lower right quadrant depicts two crossed krises (one with and one without a scabbard) on a pink field, this represents the Malay suzerainty to the south.

Above the shield is the symbol representing the Chakri Dynasty, a disc and a trident (chakra and trisula). The shield is then surrounded by the chain of the Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems (representing Buddhism) with a chain and pendant from the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao (featuring a portrait of King Chulalongkorn).

The motto is written in gold on a red and green ribbon at the bottom of the arms. The motto, which is written in the Pali language in Thai script reads: "Sabbesam Sanghabhutānam Sāmaggī Vuḍḍhi Sādhiga.", translated as:"Unity brings happiness". The supporters of the arms are two mythical creatures, clad in regalia. To the left of the shield (dexter) is an elephant lion (a lion with a trunk) or a 'Kojasiha'. To the right of the shield (sinister) is a king of the lions the 'Rajasiha'. The two supporters represents the two ancient departments of Kalahom (Kojasiha) and Mahatthai (Rajasiha).

One baht, 1977

The reverse shows the Suphannahong, with Wat Aran temple(don't ask me what the heck that is!) . The date reads 2520 BE, which converts to 1977 AD.

Chao Phraya, the river of Kings, has been the lifeblood of the people who live on its banks. For centuries the great river has witnessed the grandeur and wealth of Thailand. Evidence of this grandeur can be seen in the artistic marvel found on the grand royal barges that have been passing along this river since the Ayutthaya Period. Among them, Suphannahongs Royal Barge is the most prominent and well known among Thais and foreigners.

The title "Suphannahongs" first appeared during the reign of King Mahachakrapadi between 1548-1568. According to the legend about Thai Battleships, by Krom Phraya Rachanubharp, the ship was built during the reign of King Rama I and known as Sri Suphannahongs Ship. The name was changed several times under different sovereign power, but it was during the reign of King Rama VI that the title Suphannahongs was adopted and has remained unchanged to this time.

The famous Wat Aran , perhaps better known as the Temple of the Dawn, is one of the best known landmarks and one of the most published images of Bangkok. It consists of a massive elongated prang (Khmer-style tower), and is surrounded by four smaller prangs. The prang is described by the Tourism Authority of Thailand as 104m high, while most other sources quote figures around 80-85m. It is decorated by bits of porcelain which had previously been used as ballast by boats coming to Bangkok from China, a hallmark of the reign of King Rama III. The Wat had a brief period as host of the celebrated Emerald Buddha, which now resides in nearby Wat Phra Kaew.

The Wat really looks better from a distance than close up, and you're not missing out too much even if you only view from across the river. The grounds are fairly pleasant and peaceful though, with good murals and a main Buddha image supposedly designed by King Rama II. The mythical guardians here are also quite impressive, though very similiar to those at Wat Phra Kaew.

It is possible to walk a limited way up the (very steep) stairs of the main prang, which gives a reasonable view of the Chao Phraya river.

Thailand one baht, 1974

Reverse shows the mythical creature garuda, and the coin is struck in copper-nickel. The date reads 2517 BE, which when converted gives the year 1974. The above picture of garuda is also the coat of arms of Thailand.
The Obverse shows Rama IX(Phra Maha Bhumifhol Adulyadei) , who came to power in 1946.

Thailand 2 baht, 2007

This new 2 Baht coin is not listed in the Krause catalog even though it is very common. Perhaps this coin has only begun to be minted a few years back only. We can see King Rama IX on the obverse and some palace or something on the reverse.

Sri Lanka cents

5 cents, 1978

Metal: aluminium

50 cents, 1975

The symbol on the obverse is the national emblem or the coat of arms of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has usually had an elephant on its coat of arms but this one with the lion on it has been in use since 1972.

The image in the centre is also on the flag of Sri Lanka. It is a golden lion passant (passant is one of the different attitudes or positions in which an animal is shown), and it is holding a flag in its right front paw on a maroon background surrounded by golden petals of the blue lotus. Encircling the border are sheaves of rice grains which are symbolic of prosperity. The crest of the symbol is the dharmachakra, reasserting the position of Buddhism in the country. The supporters at the bottom are the sun and the moon, which are traditional Sinhalese heraldic symbols.