A Rs 10,000 banknote, featuring King George VI, was released in 1935. After Independence, the banknote was reissued in 1950 with the Ashoka Pillar.
A replica of the original banknote, presented to President Pranab Mukherjee in 2015, is now among the 250-odd artefacts offered by the Rashtrapati Bhavan as part of an auction of presidential gifts.
It is also among the items getting the most traction on the bidding website, starting at a base price of Rs 5,000, getting 51 bids so far, with the highest going up to Rs 7.5 lakh.
A vintage-style railway clock received by President Mukherjee in the same year — modelled on the 1747 clock at Victoria Station, London — is also among the items getting maximum traction in the auction, which started last month and is on till September 30.
Tokens from schoolchildren, offerings from states and private organisations, defence service and other national institutions to five presidents — Pratibha Patil, APJ Abdul Kalam, Ram Nath Kovind, Pranab Mukherjee and Droupadi Murmu — are part of the auction. Its proceeds, according to officials, will go to causes aimed at women and children welfare. Presents from foreign dignitaries have been kept out of the auction.
The lowest base price is Rs 4,300 for an angavastram and a headgear, while the highest base price is about Rs 4 lakh for a silver statue of Rani Chennamma of Kittur, who fought the British. This was presented to President Murmu in Belagavi.
Other artefacts in the auction include an Ashoka Pillar presented to President Kalam in 2003, a Khasi souvenir received by him a year earlier, handmade japis (headgear) presented to various Presidents, a Ram Mandir memento received by Mukherjee in 2013, etched in red on a golden metal plaque; and a miniature model of Ajmer Sharif Dargah which was presented to President Ram Nath Kovind in 2018.
Story continues below this ad
He also received a bronze statue titled Bronze Soldier with Family, which honours Assam Rifles humanitarian legacy, in 2018.
Almost 90 of the 250 objects on auction were received by President Murmu, who has completed three years in office. They include a crystal memento from Jamia Millia Islamia in 2023; a miniature model of the Sanchi Stupa received from GOC 14th Corps and all ranks in 2024; and a range of angavastram.
This is the second edition of the auction, which started last year with an equal number of gifts. “People can come to the museum and see the gifts till the auction date,” officials said.
