National
As Re 1 note completes journey of 100 years, it becomes collector’s item
By Aparajita Gupta
New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Its value has eroded over its lifetime of a century. Today, a rupee can buy very little, may be a toffee. Yet, this sturdy currency has survived two world wars, regularly shedding value till it has practically gone out of use.
The British government introduced the one rupee note on November 30, 1917.
Currency notes were introduced in India in 1861. Silver coins, including one rupee ones, were in existence for very long, some being traced to Sher Shah Suri’s reign in 1540. The one rupee paper currency, issued as a promissory note, was printed in England and depicted a silver coin image of King George V on the left corner. The words ‘I promise to pay the bearer the sum of One Rupee on demand at any office of issue’ was printed on it. Later, the promise was removed for this denomination.
“As people were increasingly melting silver one rupee coins during World War I, the number of coins were reducing from the market. At that time the British government planned to introduce this note,” Sushil Kumar Agrawal, CEO of mintageworld.com, an online museum of coins, stamps and currency notes, told IANS.
In its 100-year journey, design of One Rupee note was changed 44 times. The one Rupee note is the only currency printed by the Government of India and not by the Reserve Bank, and is signed by the Finance Secretary.
Though printing of One Rupee note was discontinued in 1994, it was re-introduced during 2015-16 financial year after a gap of 21 years. The re-introduction was more on nostalgic value than actual usage.
Asked about the reason, Agrawal said perhaps collectors’ demand for One Rupee note was the reason behind the re-printing.
“It does not as such have any value and the printing cost is certainly much higher than the value of the note” he said.
Talking about One Rupee note’s 100-year journey, founding Partner of Numismatic Auction House and founder of Oswal Antiques, Girish Jagshi Veera told IANS that the government might have reintroduced the currency because it is the basic currency of the country.
But we do not get to see the note too often. It is learnt that a bundle of 100 one rupee notes is sold for Rs 600 in grey markets of Zaveri Bazaar in Mumbai and Chandni Chowk in Delhi. Collectors do not mind shelling out premium for the notes.
In fact, different years of printing can fetch vastly different prices. A one rupee note of 1985 signed by Finance Secretary S. Venkitaramanan was sold for Rs 2,75,000 at Classical Numismatics Gallery on January 21, 2017. Another one, of 1944, issued by British India, signed C.E. Jones, was sold for Rs 130,000 for a pack of 100 at Todywalla Auctions in October 2009.
The note, for all practical purposes, has become a collector’s item.
(Aparajita Gupta can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.