New Delhi: Many people collect coins, stamps, antique items and maps as hobby, but did you know some might even have the hobby of collecting currency notes from different countries? Yes, there is. Meet this man from Chennai who has recently inscribed his named in the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records for collecting bank notes from the maximum number of nations.
The 34-year-old software engineer, Annamalai Rajendran, achieved this feat after collecting notes from 410 nations which comprise 189 existing UN Member nations, 27 Island and Overseas Territories. “He has a collection of 410 banknotes including very rare currency notes,” said official adjudicator Vivek R Nair.
Speaking to ANI, Rajendran said, “A hobby which started 10 years ago to maintain work-life balance soon turned out to be a passion as I get to know more about other countries and their traditions. I collected most of my banknotes through friends and numismatic auctions.”
He has broken the record earlier held by Jayesh Kumar from Coimbatore. Some of these currencies belong to a range period-17th Century to 21st Century. They are made of different materials like paper, polymer, cardboard, gold and cloth.
The collection also includes the world’s first gold legal tender from Antigua and Barbuda, the world’s first glow-in-the-dark coin, ancient coins ranging from India’s Chola Empire to the Roman Empire of the West.
Annamalai Rajendran’s currency collection was exhibited as a record attempt for the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records as “Collection of Banknotes from Maximum Nations”.
(With ANI inputs)