Kerala - Kochi   

A unique date of the millennium

NUMERICAL EXPRESSION: Currency bearing the number 786.

Today (7.8.06) — the seventh day in the eighth month in 2006 is a numerically important day. It represents `786,' the numerical expression of the Koranic verse Bismillahi rrahmanu rraheem (`In the name of God'). The number `786' is important for Muslims the world over.

One will have to wait for another 1,000 years for a similar date (7-8-3006) to recur. "Stamps with philatelic cancellation on 7-8-'06 will be high in demand," says Stephen Varghese, philatelist and numismatist. He has a collection of currencies and coins whose serial numbers end in 786 (for example, 42 E 000786).

They are purchased for being given as mehr in Muslim weddings.

"This number can be found only in one currency in a bundle of one lakh notes. Just like in currencies and coins, 786 is also high in demand as registration number of cars. People spend lakhs to get the number for their cars."

Just as there is demand for numbers such as 1000 and 9999 for cars, there is demand for notes with numbers such as 3 BN 100000 and 111111.

Mr. Varghese has a collection of such notes too.

"I sell these notes for many times their rate. For example, a note in the denomination of Rs.100 with the number 100000 can fetch up to Rs.5,000 in the market." He also has a collection of old currencies. An old note in the denomination of Rs.20 can fetch up to Rs.200.

The first Rs.1,000 note, notes in the denomination of Rs.5,000 and 10,000 are also high in demand among collectors.

Considering their high value, he keeps the notes, coins and stamps in a bank locker.

Among his other collections are notes with errors — those without Gandhiji's watermark, those with uneven edges, printing errors and notes in the denomination of Rs.50 carrying the picture of Parliament building but with the national tricolour missing.

John L. Paul

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