C. Subramaniam booking

C. Subramaniam coin sets may be booked at this link: http://mumbaimint.in/coinbooking.aspx .

Why attend exhibitions?

I decided to put this one as a separate article as I am putting details of a number of exhibitions in this space. This is particularly for collectors who have never been to an exhibition, even though they may be collecting for some time.

If you are not having any good dealer in your city then exhibitions can be good way to enhance your collection. Dealers from all over India come to sell their coins in National level exhibitions under one roof. So you can get most of the coins you want in a single day. There are large variety of coins to choose from, more than what you can buy. Even if you are generally busy in your work you can still take out at least 1 day in an year and buy what you want for the entire year in that time. You can keep a budget of 15-20k whenever you visit an exhibition. Exhibitions are held many times an year at different cities throughout the country so you can also choose the location which suits you. You may visit as many exhibitions as you want throughout the year, and I would recommend visiting at least one in an year. If you are going for the first time, I would suggest to refrain from heavy buying and to observe as much as you can to learn.

Warning:
Even in an exhibition fakes can be there and there are sellers who look to fleece any new and unsuspecting buyers by selling at high prices, so better to keep your eyes and ears open.

Hyderabad mint bookings 2011

Hyderabad mint 2011 bookings

Mint bookings have opened with the Hyderabad mint for the coins of the Commonwealth games, Louis Braille, Rajendra Prasad, Brihadeshwara temple, mother Teresa, C Subramaniam, Rajendra Prasad, shaheed Bhagat Singh, income Tax and Gur-ta-gaddi in the denominations of 2,5 and 10rs. Bookings will be open until the end of February so there is lot of time to book your coins. Although most of these are available in circulation or can be bought for 15-20rs from your local dealer(without mint packing).

I don't feel any need to book most of these so didn't post this information immediately as it came. Though it should be noted that Bhagat Singh and Gur-ta-gaddi didn't come in circulation so you can book those if you want to. Keep in mind that you can currently get Gur-ta-gaddi from market for 300 rupees or so, so no need to book that one also you can buy that from market straightaway and not have to wait for the mint delivery. So we are only left with Bhagat Singh which may be booked.

Personally I wont book Bhagat Singh also but will buy from my dealer as it comes into the market. These days the mints are selling sub-standard material at exorbitant prices, why be dependent on them.

Euro: Portugal

Portugal 1 Euro, 2002

2 Euro, 2002

The Portuguese euro coins show seven castles and five coat of arms surrounding the royal seal of 1144.

Euro: France cents

France 1 cent, 2007

2 cent, 2007

5 cent, 2004

Marianne is a national emblem of France and represents Liberty and Reason. Marianne is displayed in many places in France and holds a place of honour in town halls and law courts. She symbolises the "Triumph of the Republic", a bronze sculpture overlooking the Place de la Nation in Paris. The origins of Marianne, depicted by artist Honoré Daumier, in 1848, as a mother nursing two children, Romulus and Remus, or by sculptor François Rude, during the July Monarchy, as an angry warrior voicing the Marseillaise on the Arc de Triomphe, are uncertain. In any case, she has become a symbol in France: considered as a personification of the Republic, she was often used on republican iconography — and heavily caricatured and reviled by those against the republic.

apart from the Euro cents, Marianne also features on postage stamps as well as the former franc currency in parallel with the rooster, which is also a national symbol of France.

10 cent, 1999

The higher denomination French cents show the waling Liberty, which is a prominent symbol of France and has also been a constant feature on the erstwhile Francs. Liberty is often mistaken with Marianne even though she is represented as a classical goddess. Modestly attired, and now wearing a crown of seven rays, Liberty still appears on the French Seal of State seated and holding a fasces in her right hand.