Coins Gallery

The National Museum, New Delhi is delighted to announce the inauguration of Coins Gallery entitled "From Cowries to Credit Card" and launch of an Audio Tour of the National Museum on October 21, 2005. Shri Jaipal Reddy, Hon'ble Union Minister for I & B and Culture will inaugurate the Gallery and launch the Audio Tour.

National Museum, one of the leading Museums of India, has in its possession a very rich collection of coins ranging from c. 6th Century B.C. to modern period. Out of thousands of coins, certain rarest and choicest coins covering the length and breadth of the country have been selected and displayed in the Coins Gallery entitled "From Cowries to Credit Card" at the 1st floor of the Museum.

The process of second urbanization in terms of archaeological evidence, which started in c. 1000 BC, gave birth to a more sturdy and sound medium of transaction in the form of metallic currency known as coins. It replaced the age-old barter system, and other primitive practices under which commodities were exchanged to meet various needs. The story of birth, growth and development of metallic currency, the shape and weight bearing symbols and legends, is interwoven with the political, social and cultural history of India. The study of Indian coinage, therefore, provides a peep into the pages of history. It remains to this day the only authentic document in unfolding dark periods of our history and giving us the dynastic chronology of many tribes, clans and kingdoms - big and small.

The introduction of coinage is rightly considered to be a landmark in the history of human civilization. As a portable piece of antiquity and because of its intrinsic value, collection of coins has always been an instinctive habit all over the world. Issued in various metals as Gold, Silver, Copper, Billon, Lead, Potin etc., coins are the best indicators of economic prosperity, socio-political strength and stability. Bearing portraits, legends, symbols, and at times dates, coins provide complementary evidence for the study of religious beliefs, and development of art and chronology.

The representative coin collection of the Museum is displayed in 35 showcases in chronological order from the earliest till the modern period. Major techniques of minting coins have been shown through dioramas. Distribution of coinage is indicated in the maps, and historical background of the displayed coins has been described in brief bilingual write-ups. To facilitate the visitor, touch-screen, other supplementary material and aids have been provided.

An activity corner has also been set-up by installing a die-machine in the Gallery to educate the children. One can strike a metal blank (coin), bearing the logo of the Gallery on the obverse and the name of the Museum and Gallery on the reverse.

A total number of 1669 coins and 5 replicas of coins are on display in the showcases. At the end of the Gallery, a translite with currency notes and credit cards along with bricks made by the Reserve Bank of India, after destroying old currency notes, are exhibited.

The details of the Gallery are available in one CD, four sets of picture post-cards and book-markers at the Sales Counter.

The National Museum, is also launching an Audio Tour of the National Museum in five languages - Hindi, English, French, German and Japanese. It covers 55 stops of the Museums' great collection of artifacts. The visitors will carry small, lightweight digital ivtP-3 audio players. The visitor can go anywhere they want and see the exhibits in any sequence.

The Audio Tour is developed in association with Narrowcasters, India. A free map is also included with the Audio Tour.