KOZHIKODE: P.K. Sathyavati, of Koomamkulam, Manjeri presented a rare gift to the Calicut University on Thursday. The former gram panchayat member has donated her husband, late Kishan Kumar’s rare collection of antique coins to the history department. The coins include that of ancient Britain, US, Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan and the then Ceylon.
Besides, it has an array of indigenous collection including Ara Roopa, Naalu kaashu, Oru chakram, Kaalana and Oru kaashu, the denominations prevailed in the erstwhile state of Travancore and the coins prevalent in British Malabar. The Travancore rupee is believed to have been in circulation till 1949. “Hopefully researchers and students can make available of these collection at the university. Let the coins throw light on any interesting aspect of history and the then life,” said Ms Sathyavati.
A part of the coin collection donated by P.K Sathyavati
A majority of the coins were collected by Kishan Kumar’s father Athikottil Raghavan, a Kozhikode native merchant Navy officer who travelled throughout the globe. Calicut University History department head, Dr P. Shivadas said that the collection would be kept under the section ‘Athikottil Raghavan coin collection.’ The CU team, comprising Dr Shivadas, research students and others called on Sathyavati at her home on Thursday and received the collection.
