Old Indian Coins Value Even Today!

Just about anyone can become a coin collector. You can take up coin collecting either as a serious hobby or a casual pastime. Old Indian coins are highly valued and collecting them can be very addictive as well. A coin-collector is called a numismatist and once you become one, you can collect any kind of coins you choose. The Indian coin lineage is a very ancient one and the oldest Indian coinage date back to 2,600 odd years. Some varieties date way back to the Kanishka Dynasty and feature Zoroastrian ideas and Iranian goddesses.

A treasure-house of history:

India has a very rich historical past and any talk about Indian coinage is incomplete without a mention of the county’s history. Alexander the Great left his mark on Indian coins and so did the Dutch and the Portuguese. The British of course ruled India for close to 4 centuries and left an indelible print on Indian coinage. Numerous varieties were minted and various metals used.

All these varieties are important links to the country’s past and are messengers of the rich and varied culture of the country. These ancient coins were of various metals ranging from precious ones like gold and silver to less-precious ones like copper. Some varieties were also made of an alloy of 5 different metals.

Highly valued:

Today, though the ancient coinage is made out of gold and silver are highly valued, other metal coins are very valuable as well. In olden times, the intrinsic value of the metal was equal to the face value of the coin. Today, it’s not the cost of the metal that matters, it’s the fact that they belonged to a different era that does! Error coins are rare and many collectors of old Indian coins are willing to pay a high price for them. Very popular are the British India coins. They were made of silver and later on, most were made out of a copper and silver alloy. They were imprinted with faces of King George, including others.

Where can you buy them?

Old Indian coins can be bought and sold online through auction sites. Several serious collectors also advertise their coins online and you can contact them from there. Reputed online auction houses charge you a commission against any sale they have made and you might be able to acquire these old coins for a better rate by going directly to a coin dealer. Always be wary when you buy or sell old varieties as there are several unscrupulous people who might be waiting to make a fast buck by selling authentic-looking replicas. Above all, enjoy your coin collecting hobby and have fun.