2016-05-02 Mon

A 42 year old assistant political science professor at AS College in Jalandhar, named Rajiv Kumar Sharma has been collecting antique coins, currency, rare magazines and newspapers for the past 17 years. He has over 500 old coins, some with Hindu iconography from the fifth and sixth centuries, others are from the East India Company era between 1717 and 1911. He also has some important coinage from the 20th century.

He has managed to collect these antiques by chasing beggars by river banks, visiting ancient bazars and lanes and contacting other collectors. His father Mast Ram is also a coin lover but for more information he consults Dr Rajendra Sharma, the head of the political science department, Doaba College, Jalandhar. Rajiv Sharma collected his first rare coin at the age of 10 by coaxing a beggar. Sharma found two fifth and sixth century coins with Ram Lakshman and Shiva icons from beggars on the banks of the river Godavari at Nasik.

Sharma has several other rare coins with him and has gone great lengths to pursue his passion.