Lawyer turns collector of priceless old currencies

While scrapped currency notes are nothing but pieces of paper for one and all, it is priceless treasure for a 50-year-old collector in Kendrapara Town of Odisha.
Mohammad Mustaque, a legal practitioner, has converted his house into a miniature museum of notes.
He has preserved currencies right from Rs 1000 denomination, demonetised in 1978 by the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai, to scrapped and out-of-circulation ones in pre and post-Independence era.
The lawyer by profession, living in Badahaat locality here, might have exhausted his resources in his thirst.
However, he feels proud of his vast repertoire of antique collections, which includes currency notes and coins.

"Along with legal practice, collecting antiquities is part of my life....Researchers from across the state visit my private museum. I feel my labour is worth it," he said.

"When high-value notes ceased to be legal tender post-November 8 night, I glimpsed through my note collections. I was delighted to find a Rs 1,000 note that had been demonetised by Morarji Desai-led Janata government in 1978," he said.
"The government then had scrapped Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 notes. I managed to collect a Rs 1,000 note in 1983. A Marwari trader had donated the same to me. Later on I could locate Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 demonetised notes of that era, but could not collect the same as people demanded an equal sum for exchange of their scrapped notes," he recalled.

However, he treasured the Indo-Pak, Indo-Burmese
currencies, the Khadi currency note and the 'controversial' pig rupee coin of British raj as the most prized possessions.
Talking about his vast collections, Mustaque said, "One rupee and ten rupee notes printed by Reserve Bank of India for legal tender in Pakistan feature in my list of collections.
On April 1, 1948, provisional notes were issued by RBI and the Government of India on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, for exclusive use within Pakistan.
Printed by the India Security Press in Nasik, these notes consisted of Indian note plates engraved with the words 'GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN' in English and 'Hukumat-e-Pakistan' in Urdu added at the top and bottom, he said.

"Similarly I am in possession of the Indo-Burmese notes of post-1947 era," Mustaque said also pointing to 'Khadi Hundis', issued as a local currency and as an exchange medium for khadi cloth in the 50s.
These notes could only be redeemed at hand woven cloth outlets.
The Rupee, Half Rupee, Quarter Rupee coins issued by British in 1911 are treasured. These coins with engraving of pig-like animal had triggered a controversy and were withdrawn immediately. The coins had hurt religious sentiments, he said.
Besides the notes and coins, the legal practitioner from Kendrapara has preserved some of the rare photographs related to the life of the great revolutionary freedom fighter, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose.

These priceless photos include Bose shaking hand with Nazi ruler Adolf Hitler, sharing private moments with family, his historic broadcast to the nation, the great leader's visit to infamous Cellular jail in Andamans, RasBehari Bose handing over the baton of Indian National Congress Presidentship to Netaji.