Bhubaneswar: Debi Prasad Mangaraj, a resident of Satya Nagar in Bhubaneswar, has decided to auction 2 lakh antique coins to contribute towards the government’s relief funds for coronavirus and help the Corona warriors.
Mangaraj, who is a B.Tech graduate, has been collecting coins for decades. His collection includes coins from the Gupta era and those minted during the reign of Shivaji. The present value of his collection would be in crores, he estimates.
Despite requests from many people, the Odisha numismatist did not sell his collection because of his passion for collecting coins.
“Now country and state are fighting together to tackle the spread of the deadly virus. The doctors and health workers are the frontline warriors to save millions of lives. Many ordinary people are also helping the government to fight this battle. Therefore, I am planning to auction a few antique coins to collect some amount that will be helpful for the Corona warriors,” Mangaraj told the media.
Mangaraj said he has contacted five to six bidders to sell the antique coins. He will donate the entire money to the Prime Minister’s Care Fund and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
