Vizag retiree’s rare coin collection draws crowds, wins recognition
Stepping into the JR Nagar residence of Gottimukkala Subrahmanya Sivaprakash (74) offers a glimpse into India’s rich monetary and cultural history. Coins from royal dynasties, rare postage stamps, gramophone records, black-and-white film CDs, and old manuscripts have been carefully preserved, turning the house into a quiet repository of the past.
A retired manager of the District Central Cooperative Bank (DCCB), Mr. Sivaprakash has been collecting rare coins, stamps, and antiquities since the age of 15. He later served as Public Relations Officer at the Kanaka Mahalakshmi Cooperative Bank in 2023.
Over the decades, he has built an extensive collection that includes foreign currency notes from 156 countries and coins from 70 countries. He began showcasing them through exhibitions in 2012 and has since organised 17 exhibitions in towns including Machilipatnam, Eluru, Tanuku, Palakollu, Rajamahendravaram, Visakhapatnam, and Vizianagaram.
Mr. Sivaprakash said his exhibitions, particularly those organised on Gandhi Jayanti featuring coins and stamps bearing Mahatma Gandhi’s image, have attracted wide public interest. He claimed that around 3.56 lakh students have visited his displays so far.
His participation in the World Telugu Conference held recently in Guntur earned him appreciation and a government award, he said.
Mr. Sivaprakash added that he hopes to preserve rare coins and artefacts for future generations and continue organising public exhibitions to spread awareness about history.
His collection includes coins from the periods of the Satavahanas, Kushans, Cholas, Vishnukundinas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagara rulers, Magadha, Devagiri Yadavas, and the Thanjavur and Sivaganga kingdoms, as well as the Western and Eastern Chalukyas. It also features coins from the eras of Akbar, Tipu Sultan, the Marathas, the East India Company, British India, and the Republic of India.
He also owns commemorative issues such as the Rs 100 coin released to mark the birth centenary of Puttaparthi Sathya Sai Baba, and coins issued by the Reserve Bank of India commemorating 150 years since the emergence of “Vande Mataram.”