Career in Numismatics: Experience an Offbeat Career

There was a time when we passionately used to collect coins of different eras and reminding us of fantasy of India. Also, there was immense excitement while collecting foreign currencies of our NRI relatives. And how can we forget the possessiveness attached with foreign coins or banknotes. Well, have our readers ever thought of turning this hobby into a profession by pursuing a Masters in Numismatics (the study of coins) that can turn one into a professional numismatist at the University of Mumbai.

The University of Mumbai conducts the MA (Numismatics and Archeology) programme through the Dinesh Mody Institute of Numismatics and Archaeology (DMINA) with three batches of numismatics out in the field. The two year program is conducted on the premises of the institute along with the Dinesh Mody Numismatics Museum which was established by Dinesh Mody, a senior Mumbai based advocated and eminent numismatist with large collections of Indian and world coins.

Numismatics is although a new field but gradually gaining interest among students. Also, there is huge market in trading of Indian coins both at the domestic and international level. In this manner, students get opportunities in number of auction houses for coins as resource persons and by various museums both in India and abroad that require expertise in numismatics. This profession requires a student to catalogue their collections of Indian coins. In addition to this, students can also make a career through doctorates in this field and get original research content in this comprehensive and interesting system of historiography.

The syllabus of the course encompasses the entire gamut of Indian coinage right from the ancient punch-marked coins of the per-buddhist era (8th-6th century BC) to coins of various Indian dynasties like Guptas, Kushans, Satavahanas, Cholas, Pandyas, Vijaynagara empire, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals and the British till the latest coins minted by the Republic of India covering the history of a period of 2500 years.

Moreover, the students are encouraged to learn numerous scripts, Ashokan Brahmi and Kharosthi to Nagari (the precursor of Devanagari) to Greek, Arabic and Persia as Indian coins are inscribed in these indigenous and foreign scripts. Lastly, the students are instructed about the basics of Archeology, its methodology and various findings to give them an idea of how the various coin hoards are discovered during archeological excavations conducted throughout the country.

The in-house museum and the institute, spread over 15,000 sq feet area is located at the Saroj Sadan in the heart of the Kalina campus of University of Mumbai.

Career in Numismatics also paves way for a host of foreign scholarships at foreign institutions with collections of Indian coins such as the British Museum, Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge University), Ashmolean Museum (Oxford University) among others.

Source: Prachi Srivastava (Shiksha Team)
Date: 30^th June, 2011