Thane Chef Preserves 1,630 Rare Coins, Vintage Currency And A Gold Hon Linked To Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Mumbai: For Dipan Anuradha Bhalchandra Sawant, 36, an Executive Chef from Thane, currency links him to India’s past, his late father and Maratha heritage.

The collection began in 1968, when his father, Bhalchandra R. Sawant, a former BEST employee, started gathering coins, notes and stamps. After Bhalchandra died in January 2024, Dipan discovered the archive while sorting belongings in 2025 and began cataloguing and expanding it from his Thane home near the three petrol pump premises, where he lives with his mother.

The collection has over 1,630 coins, vintage currency and Indian stamps depicting milestones, personalities and monuments. Its prized piece is a gold hon from the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Measuring 1.32cm and weighing 2.732 grams, it bears the Devanagari inscription “Shri Raja Shiv” and is regarded as linked to Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation.

It includes regional hon issues, Peshwa-period currency and Maratha-era coins from Chander, Indore and Ahmedabad, made from gold, silver, copper, bronze, nickelbrass, aluminium and stainless steel.

It traces India’s monetary evolution through pre-and post-Independence mintages, denominations including one paisa, two paise, five paise, four annas and eight annas, uncirculated commemorative sets including a rare Rs200 coin, and minting errors such as off-centre strikes and planchet flaws. Paper currency spans post-Independence design eras and includes notes carrying the auspicious serial sequence 786.

Dipan said his father’s death changed his life. “There was a time when my father was alive and I was very jolly. I used to go to hotels and parties. People would see me and say, ‘Dipan jaisa nahi banna hai.’ But after my father passed away, I took on the responsibility of looking after my mother. Today, when people look at me, they say, ‘Dipan jaisa beta hona chahiye.’”

He does not intend to monetise the archive. “I want to take the history represented by these coins and currency notes to citizens,” he said.

Dipan is saving to acquire more coins from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s dynasty and rare pieces from Mughal Emperor Akbar’s reign. If future family members cannot maintain it, he plans to donate it to a public museum.

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