Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Dec 20: Aloyseum has ancient and rare coins from different parts of the world. The coins are brought from Italy in 1913 by Fr Chiappi, when the Museum of the Collegio Vida, was dismantled. Later many other coins were added by rectors and other Jesuits fathers of the college. Along with that nearly 500 coins were donated by localites.
There were nearly 4000 coins in box. The coins were cleaned in fresh water, and then identified the, then divided them according to their countries. Only rare and old coins are in display. The new and repeated coins are kept in storage.
The coins are from 82 countries- divided under five continents - Asia, America, Africa, Europe, Oceania
Asia:
Country-35, Coins- 318
Oldest coin
Ceylon
-Polonnaruwa Kingdom (1017 A.D.–1057 A.D.) Massa coins bore the name of the king in power at in 'NaagariAkshara’ or ‘Naagaricharacters’ .
-Dutch Period:1658 to 1796 A.D.The coin most commonly during used this period is the DUIT. Another coin is the RIX - DOLLAR in Sinhalese, were called PATHAGA.
-British Period: The British 1796 to 1948. The English used gold and copper coins, minted in England. Currencies such as Farthing, British Thuttu, Pathaga, Panam, Rupee and cent were in use.
China
-CASH was a coin of China and East Asia, used from the 4th century BC until the 20th century AD. 10 cash made 1 cent, and 100 cents made 1 DOLLAR. 'RED CASH COINS' are the cash coins produced in Xinjiang under Qing rule.
India
Coins from different princely states like Baroda, Gwalior, Mysore, Nawanagar, Hyderabad, Travancore etc are preserved. The coins of Tippu Sultan, Mughal emperor Akbar and Portuguese India, British east India, Danish east India and Dutch east India are exhibited. The coins of post-independence era from 1950- 1990 are also in display.
-293 Indian coins are kept for exhibition.
-Oldest coin- Danish East India- copper cash of 1615, Pulicat Mint and Kas of Christian VII of 1770s
-British east India- 17th and 18th c coins of Madras, Bombay and Bengal presidency and VEIC coins are exhibited along with coins issued by Queen Victoria, King George V, Geoge VI, Edward VII etc.
-Dutch East India- Duits of 1737, 1732 are there. Cents of William II belong to 18th c and cash coin of Frederik V of 1761 are in display.
-Akbar’s 16th c silver Mohur is in display.
-Tippu Sultan’s Patan mint and Farrukhi mint coins of 1782-1799 are exhibited.
-Mysore- Gold Pagoda of Krishnarajawodeyar III, DevaloyDevaraja coins are main attraction.
-Hydrabad- anna, pie, rupee of 18th -19th c belong to different Nawab are displayed.
America:
Country-6, coin- 62
Oldest- Brazil- 80 Reis of 1830 issued by Pedro I
Africa:
Country-7, coin- 71
Oldest coin- Algeria- Abdel Kader’s coin of 1838
Other country like Tunisia, Zanzibar has some old and rare coins.
Europe:
Country-27, coin- 575
The ancient period coins of Roman Emperors, Italy, Venice, Netherland, Austria, Germany and France are displayed.
-Italy- coins dated from 1420- 1785 of many emperors are in display along with many other 18th and 19th c coins.
-Rome- the oldest coin of museum dated 211 BC is one of the precious collection of Museum. It is a denarius, introduced in 211 BC, was the principal silver coin of Rome for 500 years.
-Julia Lucius’s silver coin of 85 BC is another old coin.
-We have Roman coins dated from 14 AD- 350AD.
-Byzantine -bronze Follis of Justinian I of 527 AD is also another attraction.
-Venice- coins of 14th, 15th, and 17h c are in display
-Austria- the Kreuzer coins of 18th c, Groshens of 19th c and shillings are displayed.
Oceania
Country-3, coin- 9
An oldest coin is one and half penny of George V of 1917.
Totally the museum has 1328 coins in display. Other coins are kept in storage. All coins are documented, catalogued and well preserved.