By Anurjay Dhal
RAJKANIKA/KENDRAPARA (ODISHA): Odisha’s Coin Master Devi Prasad Mangaraj was on Saturday got huge praise for his deceasing to auction rare coins stored at his Coin Museum located at Kharvel Nagar area of State Capital of Bhubaneswar, 120 km from here, for the cause of COVID-19 affected people.
“Amazed by the support pouring in from our citizens in the battle against #Covid19.Numismatist, Debiprasad Mangaraj’s decision to auction his years of hard work for the country is commendable. With such firm resolve of our people, India is bound to win. #IndiaFightsCorona,” the Union PNG-Steel Minister Pradhan twitted.
“Impressed by the appeals made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik , I have decided to auction these rare coins to raise funds for COVID-19 affected people,” Coin Master Devi Prasad told over phone from Bhubaneswar.
Sources said, Devi Prasad alias Muna, son of PK Mangaraj and Dharashree Bindu Mangaraj ,a numismatist from Bhubaneswar has decided to auction 2 Lakh Old Coins which he claims are worth crores, says, “I’ve decided to donate the money to State & Central govt funds to help fight #COVID19.My collection includes coins from ancient to present eras” Debi Prasad told to News Agency, ANI.
Devi Prasad has more than 40,000 antique coins from 130 countries and hopes to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. Devi Prasad’s collection includes coins belonging to Australia, the UK, France, Japan and the US, to name a few.
Major attractions of the collection include coins of the East India Company dated between 1800 AD and 1810 AD, the pennies belonging to late 18th and early 19th centuries, Peso of the mid-19th century. The collection also includes pressed coins of both stone and gold and earthen coins with imprints of lords and animals stated to be 800-year-old.
