Bhawanipatna: With a collection of stamps and coins from more than a hundred countries, Ramesh Kumar Agrawal, a native of Bhawanipatna, wants to break the Guinness Book of World Records.
In November 2019, Ramesh received an award from Bravo International Books of World Records, French in its 2019 edition for collecting stamps from 130 countries, coins from 120 countries, 90 sets of commemorative coins, 480 first day covers and 200 Meghdoot postcards.
Born in 1968, Ramesh was inspired by his mother when his family went to Nepal in 1980. “I was just twelve years old when my family visited Nepal. I saw my mother collecting some coins there. She asked me to keep them safe. I was also fascinated by them and that is how my passion began,” said Ramesh.
He has coins from Asian, European and Middle East countries. Among his prized possessions is a 900-year-old Nazrana coin that dates back to 1221.
Besides, he has coins from Oman, Bhutan, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, USA, Nepal, UAE, Australia, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Denmark, Canada, Korea, Indonesia, Italy, South Africa, Bahrain, Hong Kong and many more.
He just has to get a whiff of someone visiting a foreign country and Ramesh strikes a friendship with him. Then he asks the person to bring back coins from that country. “I pay the person Indian currency in lieu of the foreign coins,” he said.
Being a member of the Lions Club of Bhawanipatna, he remains connected with people across the country who help him. “I have never been to any foreign country but always keep track of Indians going there,” said Ramesh.
Recalling how he collected stamps as a 13-14 year-old boy, he said that when the postman would go to deliver letters, he would follow him and ask the receivers to handover the stamps. “I would approach them saying as they have already got their letters, please let me take the stamps,” he said.
Besides, he had befriended the postal staff in his area. He used to request them to give him the stamps of unused postcards and inland letters before discarding them.
Ramesh is now 51 and owns a medicine shop here. He has started to purchase silver coins known as commemorative coins. “I purchase coins from RBI,” he said. He has already spent Rs seven lakh towards collecting coins and stamps and he doesn’t regret it.
He has a postcard that dates back to 1832. He wants to make a museum of coins, stamps and postcards in Kalahandi so that children get inspiration from it. “If the government focuses on it, a museum can be built here. Revenue can be generated from it since schoolchildren will be interested,” Ramesh said.
