· About 6 tonnes foreign coins
· Coins of copper, bronze and steel
· TTD to set up coin galleries in national musuems
· Use such galleries for promotion of Sanathana dharma
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has launched a n exercise to assess the value and antiquity of the nearly 18 tonnes of old indian and foreign coins collected in its Hundis since several years.
TTD EO Sri L V Subramanyam said that a team of coin experts – numismats have been pressed into service to assess their value and antiquity so that the rest could be disposed off suitably at a later date.
He said the coin experts drawn from the Archeological Survey of India and the state archeology had already begun the exercise and were expected to complete the scrutiny by November 29 th.
The EO said that the huge stock of coins were being categorised on the basis of metal, country and also size. They comprise of copper, bronze and steel besides from countries like US , Malaysia, Singapore, Srilanka, Australia, New zeland, UK, South Africa, Canada,Nepall, Thailand and also arab countries .’The foreign coins are approximately 6 tonnes ‘ he said.
Sri Subramanayam said on the basis of the number of antique coins, the TTD is mulling over a program to set up gallries in prominent musuems across the country for display of its coin collection .’We want to utilise the opportunity to show case Sanatana dharma , through coins by setting up such gallries in musuems across the country he said.
TTD EO said devotees came to know more about the glory and granduer of Lord Venkateswara only after they were heralded in the copper plates of Annamacharya .’ Same way the glory of Lord Venkateswara across nations will also be known to people through the gallries’, he said.
EO Sri L V Subramanayam , JEO Sri K S Srinivas Raju, JEO Sri K Venkatrami Reddy ( Tirupati), CVSO Sri M K Singh and numismatic experts Prof A V Narasimhamurthy , Dr Rajaram Sri Muniratham Redddy particiapted in the event.