The New Indian Express ·
Policeman turns coins into history lessons
TIRUPATI: Numismatics has opened a door into the yore for Head Constable Thimmapuram Suresh Reddy who gathered history in to his kitty by gathering coins from Mauryas and Satavahanas of ancient India to the Vijayanagara rulers, Mughals, Nawabs and the British. His two-decade-long collection traces political, cultural and economic history of the country through the coins issued by different rulers.
What began as a childhood hobby has evolved into a passion and his two decade long hobby has now become a focal point for the new generation to learn about the past. Suresh Reddy, a 1998-batch police constable, serving as a head constable at Tirupati West Police Station, began collecting postage stamps while studying in Classes 6 and 7 and in the next two years started collecting old one-paisa copper coins.
After a lull, he revived the hobby after his transfer to Tirupati in 2004-05. As his collection grew, so did his curiosity about stories behind them.
