Rupiyanama: Online Talk by Pascal Lopes

Head of state: Iconic portraits on the rupee coin by historian and coin researcher Pascal Lopes

As part of the Rupiyanama Online Talk Series, numismatist Pascal Lopes will explore the untold design story of the Indian Rupee, starting with the 1835 British India coins and William Wyon's iconic Queen Victoria portrait. It highlights connections to Portuguese Goa designs. Examines rare pieces like the "undesirable swine" coin, and traces the shift from silver to the first non-silver rupee. The session concludes by detailing how portraits of figures like Nehru and Gandhi have reshaped Indian coins in the 75 years since Independence.

From India to the World, this series expands the experience beyond the gallery. Through conversations with leading scholars and practitioners, we’ll dive deeper into the many worlds the rupee has travelled through - political, cultural, artistic, economic and beyond.

This is a live online talk on Zoom, bringing the history of the Rupee right to your screen. The Zoom link will land in your inbox closer to the date, so keep an eye out - you won’t want to miss this one!

About the Speaker: Pascal R. Lopes is a Vasai based Historian & Coin Researcher; He has completed Masters in Numismatics & Archaeology from University. He was selected for the India Government Mint Numismatic Meet 2022 Mumbai and presented his Coin Design Suggestions. He Authored a Heritage Government published book, "A Walk Through Vasai Sopara Virar". He has an extensive award-winning collection of 3,000 coins. Invited by the Governor and Interviewed on a Television & Radio. He is a Computer Engineer and works as an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan Chase's Technology division.

This Online Talk is in tandem with our new exhibition Odyssey of the Rupee: From India to the World.

Marking 75 years of the Indian Rupee, Odyssey of the Rupee is Sarmaya’s most ambitious exhibition yet. Curated by Dr Shailendra Bhandare of the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, with Sarmaya Arts Foundation, the showcase spans centuries of currency, from ancient punch-marked coins to the first coin minted in Independent India. The exhibition also explores how the rupee travelled beyond borders, featuring beautiful and rare coins and notes from regions like Mozambique, Java, and Saudi Arabia.