<i>History comes alive with coins</i>
Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman, third from left, looks at coins at a 15-day exhibition on the currencies used in Bengal till date at Nalinikanto Bhattoshali Gallery of Bangladesh National Museum in the capital yesterday. Photo: Star
It was an atypical exhibition for the Bangladesh spectators since coins and currency notes of eternal Bengal have been on display for the first time in the country since its independence in 1971. Ancient currencies, including cowrie shells and metal coins, are apt to take visitors to an unseen old era, when primitive societies had advanced just a little from the time of the aborigines, and the people then determined that certain things with a special value would be used as a medium of exchange for ownership of livestock, and items of rarity or beauty. After that attractive items, such as cowrie shells or beads, were exchanged for more useful commodities, such as food grains and farm animals. Precious metals, from which the early coins were made, came hundreds of years later. The 15-day exhibition that began yesterday at the Nalinikanto Bhattoshali Gallery of the National Museum showcases only coins and paper notes of eternal Bengal, attracting people of all ages and professional callings ranging from artistes to researchers, from students to stray vagabonds. There were queries from all enthusiastic visitors about the origins and sources of the ancient coins and currency notes on display. The gallery displayed nearly 1,000 artifacts showing the history of money in vogue since the days of yore -- the undivided Bengal, including samples of cowrie shells, the earliest mode of currency used in this region. Also, metal coins mainly from the seventh centuries onward, such as gold and silver coins from the Gupta dynasty, Sultanate era, Mughal empire, British rule as well as currency notes from Pakistan period and Bangladesh were on display. The exhibition displays a collection of Bangladesh Bank and the National Museum with 755 metal coins, 68 gold coins and 915 paper notes, said organisers. “For me, getting to know about the history of money is a way to look at the history of the world. This new display at the National Museum is exciting and timely because it looks at money and the ways that people used it, and how that has changed over the past few millenniums,” said Atiur Rahman, governor of Bangladesh Bank. He was addressing the inaugural ceremony, Abohoman Banglar Mudra o Kagoji Note Prodorshoni, jointly organised by the central bank, National Museum and HSBC Bangladesh. Although the history of money dates back to 2,500 years ago and the practices of collecting coins and notes also began more than 2,000 years ago, the first mint was established in Bangladesh in only 1989, said Rahman. He said the central bank has initiated reforming the small currency museum of Bangladesh Bank to make it a Taka Museum soon. Prakash Chandra Das, director general of National Museum, said they have a huge collection of ancient currency, where two-third of its total collection comprises coins. The exhibition is open for all from 10am to 5pm from Saturday to Wednesday and from 3pm to 5pm on Friday.
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