Immerse yourself in an exhibition where a collection of more than a thousand rare coins, currency notes and stamps will be on display
A one dollar Ethiopian currency note featuring Emperor Haile Selassie I
Numismatics is a hobby for most people, but for Sanjay Joshi, it’s a full-time obsession. Joshi, an ex-deputy manager at the Bank of Maharashtra, converted his hobby into an educational programme for people. His upcoming exhibition, Glimpses of the World, will take you on a journey to different countries, as there is a story behind each exhibit.
A stamp from Guyana depicting Lord Krishna celebrating Holi
The collections are arranged according to the names of the countries in alphabetical order and colour-coded, making it easier for visitors to understand. Joshi explains, “I have arranged the collection alphabetically from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. In total, I will be displaying more than a thousand exhibits at the showcase.”
Triangular two dollar coins of Cook Islands, a dependency of New Zealand. Pics courtesy/Sanjay Joshi
One of the key attractions is mythology-depicting stamps. He shares, “I have a stamp of Lord Krishna playing Holi with the gopis. The stamp was issued by Guyana in South America. The Czech Republic also had a stamp where you can see Lord Shiva with Parvati and Ganesha. Indonesia, a country with a majority Muslim population, also has a stamp of lord Ganpati.”
Visitors view Joshi’s collection at a previous exhibition
He adds, “Another key attraction of my exhibition is the polymer or plastic notes of more than 70 countries. I also have bimetallic coins from over 80 countries in my collection. Most currency notes are horizontally printed, but I have a few special notes that are vertically printed. The exhibition will showcase coins that are coloured, which is a new concept started by Canada. I have an extremely rare stamp from USA that depicts their former President Abraham Lincoln without his beard.”
Sanjay Joshi
Every exhibit sourced by Joshi required hard work, and had stories behind them. He recalls an anecdote of how he was lucky enough to acquire a rare note from Ethiopia, “This one time, I had an exhibition in Kalyan. A man approached me and asked if I had a collection from Ethiopia, so I showed him. He pointed out that I didn’t have a note of King Haile Selassie I. He returned after a while and handed me the note. The story was that his father was working in Ethiopia and had passed away recently. He, too, when studying there, met with the king. The rare note was found in his father’s bag.”
ON May 24 and 25; 10 am to 7 pm
AT Matushri Velbai Sabhagruha, Chandawarkar Road, Matunga (CR), Matunga East.
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