He spent 30 years collecting rare coins. Now, he wants to sell them all

KHARGHAR: Collecting coins may just be a hobby to many, but for Mohammed Ibrahim, 55, every coin is precious.

Ibrahim, a Kharghar resident, started collecting coins when he was 20. It soon became a passion, and he started combing villages and historical sites all over the country to add to his growing collection, abandoning his day job as an electrician to pursue his interest.

Now, thirty years later, he has a treasury of coins from almost all the great historical empires of the country. His collection of coins from Chhatrapati Shivaji’s regime has fascinated both admirers of Shivaji and eminent historians. And, he got Rs2 lakh for a rare 1897 coin issued during the British Raj recently.

“Several coin societies now support me. But I struggled a lot initially. I just stuck to my passion,” he says.

He is certified as a coin trader by a number of national and international numismatic (coin) societies. Recently, he added the certificate of the International Numismatic Commission, London to his collection of certificates awarded by different Indian states. He is also certified by the Numismatic Society of India and Mumbai coin society.

He has collected coins from ancient empires of Kushans, Mugals, Cholas, Marathas, Kingdom of Mysore, Nizam of Hyderabad and Modern British India. He also has kept a huge collection of all modern Indian coins that were minted after independence. “Searching and collecting coins needs dedication and effort. My family members and friends are inspired by my efforts in collecting ancient coins.”

Sohan Chaudhary, a businessman in Kharghar, said “Ibrahim shares all his stories and coins with his friends and family. His works inspires us a lot and we also search archeological materials and coins.’’ Ibrahim also has a huge collection of rare coins of foreign countries too. He has collected coins and currencies of Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Japan, Indonesia and Afghanistan.

Ibrahim is currently busy with his schedule of exhibitions in Nagpur, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Surat. He is keen on developing his collection of coins by adding more foreign currencies and selling his collection to attract people into the profession.

BACHCHAN KUMAR Mohammed Ibrahim’s collection is diverse, with coins minted during Shivaji’s reign, issued during the British Raj and currency from ancient empires.