Numismatic Society of Calcutta to exhibit unusual coins and notes
For the first time in India, the Numismatic Society of Calcutta (NSC) will exhibit coins and notes made from unconventional materials like porcelain, silk, plastic, and newsprint at their 25th annual conference and exhibition. Numismatist Sumitro Bandyopadhyay shared that many issuing authorities created "notgelds" or emergency money between World War I and II. Here's everything you should know about this.
Porcelain coins and silk notes from Germany
Visitors can expect to see unique items such as porcelain coins with a 1 Mark denomination issued by Saxony between 1921 and 1923, and silk notes with a 25 Pfennig denomination issued by Bielfield in 1921. These unique currencies were developed to combat the shortage of metal and paper during the period between the two World Wars. The exhibition will also feature low-quality newsprint emergency currency from the Philippines, issued by the US military authority.
Plastic coins and international bank notes to be displayed
The exhibition will also include plastic coins with a 5 Ruble denomination issued by Transnistria in 2014, an unrecognized state internationally considered part of Moldova. For the first time in Kolkata, the exhibition will display bank notes that have won the International Bank Note Society (IBNS) Bank Notes Award. The three-day event, beginning on December 22, honors Lord Mahavir on the 2,550th Nirvana Kalyanak.
Coins on Lord Mahavir and other highlights
Coins featuring Lord Mahavir from Lalit Baid's collection will be exhibited, such as a Rs. 5 denomination coin from the India government mint and a Rs. 250 denomination coin from the Nepal Rashtriya Bank. A Rs. 100 denomination proof set from the Indian government mint and commemorative coins and tokens from Switzerland, the UK, USA, and Australia will also be displayed. Other highlights include Ravi Shankar Sharma's collection of Mahajanapadas coins and silver tokens issued by the NSC.
Countries that had unusual money in times of emergencies
Though they were expensive, wooden bills were one of the creative strategies the Germans used to reconstruct their economy after World War I. Hungary in the year 1946 released a 100 Million Billion Pengo, the world record denomination, to tackle inflation. The Vietnamese bill in the '50-'60s functioned similarly to a Green Stamp coupon book. Numerous perforated coupons were positioned around the edges, which one would tear off to purchase apparel items.
