Coin museum at Saifabad Mint to be inaugurated today

Hyderabad: Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) is organising Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations from June 6 to 13 in all its units. As a part of the celebrations, India Government Mint, Hyderabad, is inaugurating the coin museum at Saifabad Mint on June 7.

Tripti Patra Ghosh, CMD; S K Sinha, director (Human Resources) and Ajay Agarwal, director (finance) will be participating in the inaugural function. The museum will be opened for general public from June 8 to 13, from 9 am to 5 pm. The exhibits showcase the history of coin-making, the collection, and the history of the Mint and its equipment.

The Saifabad Mint is a pride for the Deccan heritage as it excelled in making coins, notes, stamps and other engineering items, setting the first stage of industrialisation, dating back to 1903. Mir Mahboob Ali Khan (1869-1911), the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, established this Mint similar to the European Mints in 1903.

Hyderabad was the only native State in India which enjoyed the privilege of coinage in India. The Saifabad Mint was the epicenter for minting of coins, holding a special place in the history of India, known for its exceptional calligraphic quality.

The Mint's glory kept growing as it became independent from being under the control of the Bombay Mint. Today its successor India Government Mint is the largest Mint area wise in Asia. The architecture and functionality of the Saifabad Mint is unique for its structural stability. The old gun barrels decorate the entrance ways. The columns are made of steel with beautiful carvings. This monument of engineering had woven into the life and economy of Deccan. The sweat and blood of hundreds of employees made it happen with tremendous dedication. It has been decided to renovate and open it to the public on the befitting occasion of 75 years of freedom. This is the first living Mint Technology Museum in the country.

After shifting the Mint to Cherlapally, the Saifabad Mint was lying in dilapidated condition. Many old machines remained that made coins of exceptional quality with calligraphic beauty. Concerted efforts were made to preserve heritage. In 2021, SPMCIL decided to convert this Mint to set up the museum, hallmarking centre and the sales counter in one common location.