Bhubaneswar: A resident of Bhubaneswar, Devi Prasad Maharaj is a proud owner of about 40,000 coins, many of them rare and antique.

The first rendezvous with antique coins for this 15-year-old numismatist came at an early age, when he received some coins from his grandfather.

Drawn by their rustic old-world charm Prasad was initiated into the hobby, which has now become a passion for him.

Over the time, he has gathered coins and even some currency notes from different sources across India.

"I have gathered these coins from different places. Some from exhibitions and some from mints. I had to become a member of the mints to get the coins from there. Then some people also gifted me coins. I even got coins from people outside my state," said Prasad.

Prasad's collection of coins and currency notes is quite varied and currencies from different countries adorn his prized treasure.

Coins dating back to 18th century, Elizabethan era, gold coins which were in use during the reign of ancient and medieval Indian rulers, pennies, and other unique coins with imprints of animals and gods and much more, form a part of his collection.

The market value of these coins is very high and Prasad has even got an offer for the auctioning of one of the coins from his collection.

"The market value of these coins is very high. I have got an offer for auction of one of the coins with a starting rate of 16.7 million rupees," said Prasad.

Prasad wants to carry this legacy forward by setting up a museum where the people especially children can see them and learn about them.

He has got an offer for land from the government of Gujarat to set up his museum.

Source : Central