Vinod Kumar, a collector of rare coins and currency for 33 years

Kurnool: Devarasetti Vinod Kumar, a resident of Atmakur town in the undivided Kurnool district, has long been collecting rare coins and currency. He has passionately been pursuing his hobby for over 33 years, which in-cludes ancient coins back to royal eras and also from different coun-tries.

Vinod runs a medical shop in Netaji Nagar, Atmakur. He got inspiration from his teacher Sambasiva Rao, while studying 10th class in AP Resi-dential School in Kurnool and started collecting rare coins in 1992.

With the support of family and friends, Vinod has gathered an impres-sive collection.

During visits to historical places like Hampi, Dharmasthala, Mysore, Thanjavur etc, he will purchase rare currencies. His collection includes coins of minimal value, such as paise from earlier days in India, and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) coins and notes released in various years. Vinod’s collection extends beyond India, featuring rare coins and notes from countries like Nepal, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Europe, Yu-goslavia, Australia, Sri Lanka, China, South Africa, Libya, Pakistan, Af-ghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Dubai, the USA, England, Canada, North Korea, Germany, South Korea, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Zimbabwe, and more.

Notably, he spent significant amounts acquiring these treasures, in-cluding ancient Nizam-era printed coins and pre-East India Company currencies. Despite the expense, his family continues to support his passion.

Vinod’s goal is to preserve the history of global currencies for future generations. He also hopes to organise exhibitions to educate children about the significance of coins and currency from India and around the world.