FORTHCOMING BOOK: ARTICLE PROFILES BRITISH INDIA AUTHOR GEV KIAS

When a 23-year-old Gev Kias bought his first booty of 15 "antique" silver coins off a street vendor at Flora Fountain in Mumbai, he congratulated himself for striking a cool deal. It was only later when he sat fingering them on his way back to Pune that he noticed that the silver colour was rubbing off on his fingers. "I wanted to go and hammer that guy. Then I realised that it was my fault. I'd gone and bought the coins without any knowledge about them whatsoever," says the now 46-year-old automobile engineer- turned-numismatist, who works as the in-house advisor and grader of Numismatic Guarantee Service (NGS) of India — the country's first professional grading and certification service for coins and paper money of South Asia.

The fraudulent experience however served to ignite what has turned out to be a lifelong passion. He made inquiries and eventually met another coin collector, who helped give direction to his radarless drive. "He chided me for buying coins off a street vendor and gave me books to study," says Kias, who began by collecting 56 British India coins dated between 1835 and 1947. And just when he thought he'd made the "coin collector" grade, his mentor laughed and told him that, next, there were coins to be collected mint wise (according to the mint of their origin — Calcutta, Bombay or Madras) and then die wise (variations of which make a coin rare).

Today Kias is considered to possess one of the best collections of British India coins and has more than 1,500 varieties dated between 1835 and 1947, from the reign of King William IV to George VI — in all denominations and metals (the most rare ones come in silver). What's more, he's now working on a book that would give comprehensive information about British India coins.

"The earlier books, written by stalwarts like F Pridmore and D Chakravarty, don't cover many coins as they had not seen them. My book will give all the updated information, essential for future collectors," shares Kias, adding that the book would hit the market by September next year. Kias also teaches as visiting faculty at Mumbai University, where he instructs post graduate students about British India coins.

To read the complete article, see:
A COLONIAL COFFER (www.ahmedabadmirror.com/others/specials/A-colonial-coffer/articleshow/45000168.cms)

Archives International Auctions, Part XXI
4th Annual Wall Street Coin, Currency & Collectible Show Auction

U.S. & Worldwide Banknotes, Coins, Medals, Scripophily,
Federal Fiscal Documents & Security Printing Ephemera

October 25th & November 4th, 2014

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• Lot 759 Palestine Currency Board, 1929 High Grade Issue
• Lot 1053 British American Bank Note Company Engravers & Printers
• Lot 400 Richmond and Petersburg Rail Road Company, 1870 Specimen Bond

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