KATHMANDU: “I am a collector, but I also do brisk business to earn a living,” says Dhading resident Jay Bahadur Tamang, scanning some of the not-so-old coins in numismatist Anil Raj Shrestha’s Scenic Gallery in Marutole. “I am not a pure numismatist as you would think,” Tamang chuckles as he purchases ten from the lot. “I now have to find clients who will be interested in these coins, and with the little profit I earn I will feed my family,” he says bidding farewell to Shrestha. [break]
It has only been five months since Tamang ventured into the business, but Shrestha, who has spent his entire life studying and trading a variety of coins, is a pure numismatist, boasting a huge collection of Nepali, Bhutanese and Indian currency. “I also have rare coins from the 5th century and from the days of Prithivi Narayan Shah in my personal collection. These displayed are not so old, some dating back just 200 years,” he says pulling an album from his locker with a boastful smile.
“This particular Indian Rupee note, however, is very significant. In 1947 A.D., when India and Pakistan separated, the government of Pakistan circulated these notes with a stamp on top of the Indian Rupee note that read ‘Government of Pakistan’, as Pakistan didn’t have any currency then,” he says scanning the album. “These coins and notes carry stories with them. They tell us about the people and events that shaped our society. They are evidence, and without it there could be no investigation of the past.”
Shrestha is among the few who run an open-street gallery in Basantapur Durbar Square. Anyone who passes Maru Tole could mistake him for a street vendor, but would be stunned to know the gallery perched right outside Goddess Bhagwati’s shrine is actually a fully-fledged gallery. “The gallery has been in operation for more than fifty years. Those days, prior to the establishment of Nepal Rastra Bank, we could say that my grandfather Shiva Ratna Shakya was running a bank,” he says. “We even traded the Indian Rupee, but in 2022 BS Governor Himalaya Shamsher imposed a ban on it.”
People collect coins and notes for many reasons. Some do it to keep up with their hobby, while others do so as the coins are required during festivals and special occasions, such as the laying of a building’s foundation stone. “I have a lot of students who come to me looking for coins of the South Asian region,” says Shrestha. “But seniors who are interested in history and serious numismatists also come looking for rare pieces from the Panchayat era, or from King Surendra’s regime. People like these keep my business going, but the future is bleak.”
“Business returns keep fluctuating. Sometimes a month passes by without a single penny. But then again, I have earned ten to fifteen thousand a month,” he adds. “I followed my father Purushottam Lal Shrestha’s footsteps, because I wanted to live free and independent and not work under someone else, but I am already having second thoughts about it. My father inherited the collection from my grandfather, but I am not sure whether my children will follow suit. My brothers who are into business didn’t,” he remarks.
“I have all my collection in this safe. This safe is historic too. It was installed here by my grandfather, and it’s been here ever since. But business is dying as rare items get rarer and push the prices up. There is no demand these days, and with the little profit I earn, life is hard. Soon, I will have to look for alternatives,” he says as he shuts the door of his locker.
For now, Shrestha’s Scenic Gallery opens for business from 10:00 A.M. till dusk.
Numismatists may contact Shrestha at:
Scenic Gallery
Marutole
Tel: 4262664
Cell: 9841990803
