Sunday, March 9, 2014

MODERN SIKH TEMPLE TOKENS AND COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS

MODERN SIKH TEMPLE TOKENS AND COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS
Copywrite  by Saran Singh


A.) MODERN SIKH TEMPLE TOKENS

Early Temple tokens were used as offerings in the Gurdwara's in place of money.
However, the Temple Tokens issued in the last 50 years were made to serve as commemorative items for collectors. 

Guru Nanak / Mool Mantar
Silver Diameter: 31mm
                             Weight: 10.10g.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji
preparing the Amrit
300th birth anniversary of the
 Khalsa 1699 – 1999
Silver. Diameter: 31mm.
Weight: 9.50g. Bombay


Guru Gobind Singh Ji riding a
horse with his falcon in hand
Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple)
Silver. Diameter: 31mm.
                     Weight: 9.80g., Bombay

B.)  COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS

Commemorative medals are usually a piece of metal, marked with design and/or inscriptions , made to honour a person, place  or event, and not intended to pass as money. 

Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple)
Amritsar War Effort Mela 1945
Silver. Diameter: 32mm
Weight: 24.00g.

Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji
1469 - 1539
500th birth anniversary.
Gold plated copper, Silver plated copper, Copper
D: 38mm, W: 23.04g.
Issued in 1969, Set of three pieces

                                 Sri Gobind Singh Ji 1666 – 1966
                                    300th birth anniversary.
                                    International Sikh Brotherhood
                                    Gold plated nickel. Diameter: 46mm, Weight: 12.00 grammes



            Saint Soldier Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji (1731-1856)
            150th Anniversary 2006
            Set of three commemorative medallions
            Proof like silver .999 , Weight: 20 grammes , Diameter: 38.70 mm
            Gold plated Silver, Weight: ? , Diameter: 38.70 mm
            Proof like Gold (50 pieces) 999.9 fine, Weight: 10 grammes, Diameter: 21.96 mm
            Struck at the Singapore Mint. Issued by Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road, Singapore.




Saint Soldier Bhai Maharaja Singh was a patriot who fought against  the British after the fall of the
Sikh Empire of Punjab. He was captured, treated as a political prisoner, and brought to Singapore in July 1850, where he passed away in 1856



                        Tercentenary – 300th Birth Anniversary of Khalsa 1699 – 1999
                        Silver 999.0 fine Medallion. Diameter: 47 mm, Weight: 50 grammes
                        Gold 999.0 fine Medallion. Diameter: 25 mm, Weight: 10 grammes
Set of two pieces. Made by MMTC Limited, New Delhi, India Lssued by Punjab  Small Industries & Export Corpn. Ltd, Chandigarh


300th birth anniversary of the Khalsa 1699 – 1999            
Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib
                                    Tin (Pewter). Diameter: 51mm, Weight: 40.40 grammes
                                    (Issued by Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia)



The first handwritten copy of the Sikh Holy Scripture known as the Pothi Sahib Ji (later known as the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji), was compiled and installed in the Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), Amritsar by Guru Arjan Dev Ji in 1604. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of this important event, the following medal was issued in Malaysia in 2004.



                        400th  anniversary of the first Parkash Dihara (Installation)
                        of the Sikh Holy Scripture, Pothi Sahib Ji 1604 – 2004   
at the Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), Sri Amritsar, Punjab.
                        Mintage: 500 pieces in teak box.
                        Pewter Medallion. Diameter: 51 mm, Weight: 40 grammes


Guru Gobind Singh Ji conferred the Guruship on the Sikh Holy Scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, as the last and only eternal living Guru of the Sikhs at Nanded, India  in 1708. The 300th anniversary of this oocassion which fell in 2008, was celebrated on a very large scale. To commemorate this occasion, the following medal was issued in Malaysia in 2008


             300th  Gurta Gaddi Divas of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 1708-2008
             (300th anniversary of the conferment of Guruship of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
             Takhat  Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib Ji Abchalnagar, Nanded, India.
             Gold plated Brass  (Mintage 150 pieces in teak box) and
             Silver plated Brass (Mintage 150 pieces in teak box)
             Diameter: 51mm, Weight : 38 grammes                                




                500th Avtar Dihara (Birth Anniversary) of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji 1469 - 1969
                Guru Nanak, the first Guru, was the founder of Sikhism
                Tin (Pewter), Diameter: 51 mm, Weight:     ?      grammes
                Mintage: 500 pieces in teak box. Issued in Malaysia in 2004.




               500th Avtar Dihara (Birth Anniversary) of Sri Guru Angad Dev Ji 1504 - 2004
               Guru Angad, the second Guru of the Sikhs, continued the teachings of Guru Nanak,
               and also introduced the Gurmukhi script in its’  present form.
               Tin (Pewter), Diameter: 51 mm, Weight:    ?       grammes
               Mintage: 500 pieces in teak box. Issued in Malaysia in 2004. 




             500th Avtar Dihara (Birth Anniversary) of Sri Guru Amar Das Ji 1479 - 1979  
             Guru Amar Das was the third Guru of the Sikhs. He brought reforms to the Sikh     
             faith,  propagated the emancipation of women and introduced the concept of the
             Community kitchen (Guru ka Langgar) .
             Tin (Pewter), Diameter: 51 mm, Weight:         ?     grammes
             Mintage; 500 pieces in teak box. Issued in Malaysia in 2004.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A special word of thanks goes to the following researches of Sikh coinage of Punjab who very kindly checked and updated some of the information in this manuscript “The Coins of the Sikhs – Punjab” .

Dalwinder Singh, California, USA


Coin Photo’s

All the Sikh coins photographs (unless otherwise acknowledged) are from the authors collection. 




13 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I HAVE COIN NAMED SANT KARTAR IF U WANT TO BUY PLEASE CONTACT 9803402434

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  2. hello karnbir if you want to learn how you can buy sikh coins you can visit here sikh coins and as well there is very informative history about sikh coins

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi. As you are obviously an expert on these coins/tokens, I am hoping you can help me. I have a token that first of all I was led to believe it was Arabic, then from India or Nepal. My latest research has resulted in me being told it is probably a Sikh temple token, but I am unable to find any more info on it. The obverse shows a town or at least the roofs (a temple?) with text in an arch above and below the picture. The reverse, I have been told, is a blessing in the Gujrati language. I realise it is not currency or valuable, but I would love to know more about it. Can you help?

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  4. Please do send me a picture of the token. Picture required for both sides of the token and with good resolution so that I can read the details

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  5. Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I have got photos which I can send, but th coin itself is not that clear so I hope you will be able to read it.
    I can't see where or how to send photos from here, so will try from the gmail notification.

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  6. Hi. How much is a 24 carat gold (10 grams) coin- "the birth of khalsa Tercentenary" like the one shown above in one of the photos? Thanks

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  7. I got a token golden temple if anyone want to buy can contact me

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  8. I want kw the price of coin trecentenary of gold 999.9 weight 10 of 1699-1999

    ReplyDelete