Rajasthan: Man’s Priceless Treasure Astonishes Everyone

There is a person in Rajasthan who possesses a marvellous treasure. His name is Mukesh Shrimal. Everyone is astonished to see this treasure accumulated by him through 38 years of hard work. Know what this treasure contains?

Rajasthan: It is said that passion can sometimes make a person obsessive. Such an obsession took hold of the city's social worker and President of Bharat Vikas Parishad, Tilak Branch, Mukesh Shrimal, 38 years ago. In no time, he amassed a collection of Indian and foreign currency, along with many rare postage stamps. His passion has not waned with time, and he is now expanding his collection further.

He says that he started collecting as a hobby initially. But now it has become a habit, and wherever he sees any currency or stamp, he adds it to his collection. This special report by Patrika on his collection, amassed over nearly four decades…

All notes from 1957 to the present are available

His collection includes all paper notes that have been in circulation in Indian currency from 1957 to the present. This includes one rupee notes from 1950 to 1993, two rupee notes from 1940, 1957, 1965, and 1985, a ten rupee note from 1957, five rupee notes from 1953, 1957, 1969, and 1975, ten rupee notes from 1951, 1957, and later, fifty rupee notes printed from 1971, one hundred rupee notes from 1971, 1977, and later, all five hundred rupee notes, all one thousand rupee notes, two thousand rupee notes, and all current circulating notes from 2001 to the present.

Social worker and President of Bharat Vikas Parishad, Tilak Branch, Mukesh Shrimal. Photo: Patrika

People are surprised to see the coin collection

Mukesh Shrimal's collection of Indian currency includes a Mughal-era silver coin from before independence, silver coins of George King-IV, silver coins of Queen Elizabeth from 1918, 1939, 1940, 1943, a silver coin from 1876, a silver quarter anna of George King-VI from 1942, silver and copper coins from Udaipur's Dosti Langhan Chitrakoot from 1985 Vikram Samvat, copper coins from Udaipur Chitrakoot from 1943 Samvat, a coin from the Bikaner princely state era from 1893 Samvat, a copper one paisa from the Ratlam princely state from 1943 Samvat, a coin from the Gwalior royal family from 1999 Vikram Samvat, a series of copper coins from 1905 to 1955, copper one anna coins from 1927, 1941, 1947, 1954, a series of round one anna copper coins from 1957 to 1964, a series of two paisa iron coins from 1957 to 1964, five square paisa iron coins from 1957 to 1960, a series of five paisa aluminium coins from 1968 to 1982, a series of ten paisa iron coins from 1954 to 1969, ten paisa brass coins with Ashoka Chakra from 1968 to 1971, a series of one paisa, two paisa, three paisa, and 20 paisa aluminium coins from 1984 to 1994, twenty paisa brass coins with lotus flowers and Gandhi from 1969 to 1961, a series of two rupee coins from 1985 to 2021, a series of five rupee coins from 1992 to 2024, large round five rupee coins of Indira Gandhi and Nehru from 1982, a series of one rupee coins from 1985 to 2023, a series of 25 paisa coins from 1947 to 2001, a series of ten rupee coins from 2008 to 2023, and a series of 50 paisa coins from 1946 to 2008, which bring back old memories.

Mukesh Shrimal's collection. Photo: Patrika

Foreign coins are also abundant

Mukesh Shrimal also has a collection of foreign coins. This includes US dollars, Kuwaiti and Iraqi Fils, French Francs, Iranian Dinars, Som from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Malaysian and Kenyan Cents, Italian Euros, Japanese Yen, Australian Dollars, Swedish Krona, Bahraini Fils, UAE Dirhams, Indonesian Rupiah, a Swiss Franc from 1977, an Iraqi Dinar from 1981, Pakistani and Nepali Rupees, Bangladeshi Taka, and UK Pounds.

Mukesh Shrimal's stamp collection. Photo: Patrika

The collection includes domestic and foreign postage stamps

Along with his collection of coins and notes, Mukesh also has a rare collection of domestic and foreign postage stamps. This includes stamps from the Udaipur and MP princely states, and a beautiful collection of Indian postage stamps from 1957 to 2003. These feature Indian sports, sports competitions, the Navy, the Army, brides from various provinces of Indian culture, heroes and revolutionaries of the freedom struggle, Indian poets and writers, great personalities of India, Indian flowers, and animals. In addition, there are many rare postage stamps from countries such as the USA, UAE, Kuwait, Italy, France, Germany, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, Portugal, Malaysia, Mauritius, Spain, Singapore, China, Sudan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Jordan, Argentina, Oman, Uganda, etc.

Shrimal also has a collection of foreign currency

Shrimal also has a collection of foreign currency. This includes American Dollars, Euros from Europe, Australian, Singaporean, and Canadian Dollars, Romanian Lei, Som from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, Chinese Yuan, Thai Baht, South Korean Won, New Zealand Dollars, Ukrainian Hryvnia, Lithuanian Litas, Indonesian Rupiah, Dinar from Bahrain and Kuwait, Riyals from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Iran, UAE Dirhams, Egyptian and Australian Pounds, Euros from Europe, Sudanese Piastres, a Russian Ruble from 1997, Rupees from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal from 1970, 1979, 1980, a Jordanian Dinar from 1975, Iraqi Dinars from 1980, 81, and 1986, UK plastic Pounds, Bangladeshi Taka from 1988, Kenyan Shillings from 1981, African Meticals, Nigerian Naira from 1986, and Nigerian Kobo paper notes from 1973.