Mint Museum shows evolution of Hyderabad currency
The Hindu
Part of the unused Mint compound houses the exhibition
The storied history of Hyderabad’s numismatic legacy is now on show at the freshly minted mint museum in the Saifabad area.
The disused mint facility which was abandoned in 1997 after the minting facility was shifted to Cherlapally has been transformed into the museum. “The mint compound is spread over three acres we are using 4000 square feet for the exhibition. We worked with the existing facilities to create this exhibition,” said Vikram who worked on the exhibit. While many exhibits are from the mint museum in Cherlapally, a few displays have been curated by a team led by Mr. Vikram. “This coin display shows the obverse side without any intervention. We have added a QR code that gives details about the coins and will show additional history at a future date,” he informed.
The exhibition showcases history as well as the artefacts that were used to create the coins. Among the exhibits is a large photograph showing a worker about to slam a hammer on an anvil for coin stamping using the die striking method. Coins were minted in Hyderabad when the mint was located in the Sultan Shahi area. The private mint was established in 1803 and marked the beginning of locally produced coins in the region.
By 1893, there were eight official mints and 16 private mints owned predominantly by jagirdars in Hyderabad region. Finally, Salar Jung shut down these mints due to the low quality of coinage and inaugurated a State Mint in 1893 where citizens could take gold or silver or old coins to be minted into current coins.
Exactly a hundred years later in 1903, the Mint was shifted to Saifabad and began to function in a systematic manner supervised by the then Finance Minister Casson Walker. Now, only part of the mint compound has been turned into a museum. Behind it, in large airy rooms filled with cobwebs and dust lie the rusted machinery that once powered the mint. A facility that was connected with its own railway siding to bring in precious metal and cart minted coins.
In 1950, after the merger of Nizam’s Dominion with India, the government of India started using the facility and used it till 1997. In 1953, the Osmanian currency was demonetised. Now, citizens can see a slice of that history at the Mint compound just past the two brass cannons.
ISKCON Bangladesh denounces arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, demands justice and peaceful coexistence for Sanatanis in Bangladesh.
Maharashtra Congress president criticizes Mahayuti's delay in choosing CM, alleging BJP's control and EVM irregularities in election.
Meta’s WhatsApp took its fight against the European Data Protection Board to Europe’s highest court.
“Writing, in general, is a very solitary process,” says Yauvanika Chopra, Associate Director at The New India Foundation (NIF), which, earlier this year, announced the 12th edition of its NIF Book Fellowships for research and scholarship about Indian history after Independence. While authors, in general, are built for it, it can still get very lonely, says Chopra, pointing out that the fellowship’s community support is as valuable as the monetary benefits it offers. “There is a solid community of NIF fellows, trustees, language experts, jury members, all of whom are incredibly competent,” she says. “They really help make authors feel supported from manuscript to publication, so you never feel like you’re struggling through isolation.”
Manoj Kumar, a talented artist with a disability, paints vibrant murals at Sabarimala, narrating the story of Lord Ayyappa.
Lieutenant General Karanbir Singh Brar assesses operational readiness and administrative effectiveness in Hyderabad and Secunderabad military facilities.
Supreme Court ruling on socialism, secularism
Several principals of government and private schools in Delhi on Tuesday said the Directorate of Education (DoE) circular from a day earlier, directing schools to conduct classes in ‘hybrid’ mode, had caused confusion regarding day-to-day operations as they did not know how many students would return to school from Wednesday and how would teachers instruct in two modes — online and in person — at once. The DoE circular on Monday had also stated that the option to “exercise online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians”. Several schoolteachers also expressed confusion regarding the DoE order. A government schoolteacher said he was unsure of how to cope with the resumption of physical classes, given that the order directing government offices to ensure that 50% of the employees work from home is still in place. On Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) had, on the orders of the Supreme Court, directed schools in Delhi-NCR to shift classes to the hybrid mode, following which the DoE had issued the circular. The court had urged the Centre’s pollution watchdog to consider restarting physical classes due to many students missing out on the mid-day meals and lacking the necessary means to attend classes online. The CAQM had, on November 20, asked schools in Delhi-NCR to shift to the online mode of teaching.
Tamil Nadu rain weather LIVE updates: Follow The Hindu’s live coverage of the Tamil Nadu rains on November 27, 2024
Norway parliament apologises to Sami and other minority groups for assimilation policies
Nearly 50% of Dakshina Kannada’s shoreline has been eroded, the highest among the three coastal districts of Karnataka, according to a study for the period 1990-2018 by the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR).