VU INDIA

A North Indian Coin from region of PUNJAB and depicts the Sikh faith. A rare coin purportedly minted 260 years ago in 1748 by one of the Sikh missals. (Minted 1804 is Hindu calendar call Vikram Smavat started 56 years ahead of Georgian Calendar) The coin made of an alloy resembling bronze, bears picture of the first Guru on observe (Date Side) exergues reads Sant Kartar and the tenth Guru on the reverse side. While Guru Nanak Dev is flanked by Bhai Mardana and Bhai Bala, holding rabab(Violin like instrument) and chaur(Hand-held Fan) in their hands, a bai is seen sitting near Guru Gobind Singh. Also shown in the picture are the khrawan (slipper made of wood) and a lota(small water pot). Mr Amarjit Singh Sidhu, a Sikh historian, agreed to the claim and maintained that the ambiguity about the pictorial and mohar coins was due to lack of concern shown by successive governments about the Sikh history. It was certainly after October 14, 1745, that the chief of missals started minting coins in the names of the ten Gurus. The very fact the coin bears pictures of the first and the tenth Guru shows that it was not minted during the regime of any sovereign ruler, pointed Mr Sidhu. Referring to the pages of history, Mr Sidhu said each chief tried to strengthen his hold over the areas under his control and even started minting coins. A number of mints in Amritsar and one at Anandgarh came into existence. But a special feature of these mints was that coins were minted by all in the name of the Sikh Gurus as had been the traditional practice and no chief put his name on these coins or even changed the legend.