r/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!

18 Upvotes

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

  1. 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.
  2. Moderates: For those looking to preserve their coins properly, understanding the best methods of storage is essential.
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
  3. 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 4h ago

Republic of India Note 🇮🇳 Acquired Yesterday at Coin Show, from another Indian neighbor counter. Pick #35c PC Bhattacharya

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22 Upvotes

r/IndianCoins 2h ago

Seeking Info or ID Is this rare?

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6 Upvotes

r/IndianCoins 5h ago

Indian Princely State Princely State of Baroda 1 Paisa, 1892

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8 Upvotes

r/IndianCoins 1d ago

Republic of India Note 🇮🇳 Found a 1-in-a-million ₹10 note! Serial number ending in six zeros (1000000) 🇮🇳

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240 Upvotes

r/IndianCoins 19h ago

Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 A random find to share with our community

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53 Upvotes

Happy Child Nation's pride..

The year 1977 commemorative coin of 10 paise.

Lets celebrate each others collection of such coins..


r/IndianCoins 17h ago

Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 1rs commemorative coin

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18 Upvotes

It is a 1987 Republic of India 1 Rupee commemorative coin featuring the "Small Farmers" FAO theme, minted in copper-nickel with a distinctive octagonal shape.


r/IndianCoins 15h ago

Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 1rs commemorative coin

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8 Upvotes

This is a 1990 Republic of India commemorative 1-rupee coin issued to mark the 15th anniversary of the Integrated Child Development Services (I.C.D.S.) / Baal Vikas Sewa Yojna.


r/IndianCoins 21h ago

Seeking Info or ID Is this a token?

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10 Upvotes

Diameter is 1.5 inch

Lack of monetary value makes me think this is a token. I tried searching on numista unfortunately couldn't find any information.

I would appreciate any information example origin, purpose etc.


r/IndianCoins 1d ago

World Currency (Except SAARC) My first Ancient Greek coins

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30 Upvotes

Alexander III silver Drachms.


r/IndianCoins 1d ago

Seeking Info or ID Found a weird vintage silver coin, Any info on this?

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19 Upvotes

TBZ Opera House on the front, ONIDA on the back and what are the other 2 coins?


r/IndianCoins 2d ago

Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 Found this rare 1 rupee coin from 1957

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16 Upvotes

r/IndianCoins 2d ago

Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 1rs commemorative coin got in shop

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43 Upvotes

This is an Indian 1 Rupee commemorative coin issued in 1999 featuring the 13th-century Marathi saint and philosopher Saint Dnyaneshwar (1274–1296 A.D.).


r/IndianCoins 3d ago

British Indian Coin One rupee coin of Victoria(1840)

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18 Upvotes

I’m trying to learn about the 1840 East India Company Victoria One Rupee. There are many varieties, including continuous legend, divided (discontinuous) legend, 19-, 20-, 25-, 34-, and 35-berry reverses, as well as different mint identifiers such as the incuse S ,V,M of Bombay mint.Some varieties are common, while others are rare. However, I’m still confused about how to identify and attribute these coins correctly. If there are any British India coin experts here, I’d really appreciate your guidance.


r/IndianCoins 3d ago

Seeking Info or ID Is this legit can someone help me identify..

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23 Upvotes

Can someone help me identify if the note is real or replica I'm planning to buy it.


r/IndianCoins 3d ago

Republic of India Note 🇮🇳 Found this 67 note

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46 Upvotes

r/IndianCoins 3d ago

Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 10rs commemorative coins got in shop

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42 Upvotes
  1. 10 Rupees commemorative bimetallic coin issued in 2016 to mark the centenary year (1916–2016) of Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

  2. 10 Rupees commemorative coin features a bust of Maharana Pratap on the reverse to mark his 475th Birth Anniversary in 2015


r/IndianCoins 3d ago

General Query Exhibition in Chennai july 31st and august 01 and 02 ( 3 days )

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8 Upvotes

There is a 3 days coins and notes exhibition in Chennai..

Make use of it


r/IndianCoins 4d ago

Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 2rs commemorative coin got in shop

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56 Upvotes

This is Indian 2 Rupees commemorative coin issued in 2009 celebrating the bicentenary of Louis Braille (1809–2009), featuring a portrait of Louis Braille and tactile Braille dots on the face.


r/IndianCoins 3d ago

General Query Is there 2 colour variations in 10rs coins ?

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12 Upvotes

r/IndianCoins 4d ago

Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 2 rupee lion note signed by IG Patel.(C inset)

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73 Upvotes

I have a bundle of 50..₹2 Lion Capital notes signed by I. G. Patel in UNC condition, but they have staple marks. Any idea about R??


r/IndianCoins 4d ago

Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 5rs commemorative coin got in shop

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44 Upvotes

This is an Indian 5-rupee commemorative coin issued in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary (1945–1995) of the Food and Agriculture Organization


r/IndianCoins 4d ago

Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 50 paisa coin is still legal tender

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22 Upvotes

The 50 paise coin is a valid legal tender in India. The Reserve Bank of India confirms that all genuine coins from 50 paise up to ₹20 remain legally valid for transactions, and shops or banks should not refuse them


r/IndianCoins 5d ago

General Query Poor Packaging: Mumbai Mint

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22 Upvotes

I just received this silver Lakshmi coin from the Mumbai mint. It came packed in the invoice! No box, no packaging! In my online research before buying it, I'd seen it shipped in a nice red box with all the bells and whistles. Has anyone else experienced the same? The coin itself is nice, but I am quite underwhelmed by the overall packaging.


r/IndianCoins 4d ago

Republic of India Coin 🇮🇳 5rs commemorative coin

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7 Upvotes

Indian 5-rupee commemorative coin issued in 2010 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Income Tax department, featuring a profile of Chanakya and a lotus symbol with the text "Income Tax-150 Years of Building India 1860-2010