I never really had an intention to collect currencies. 7 years old when my mum used to give me Coins and notes from Singapore everytime we went there for the summer. I used to keep them safely in a plastic box ready to give it off to anyone who asked for it. So I got currencies from U.A.E , Qatar and Saudi Arabia which I again stored in the plastic box. Soon enough I moved to Saudi Arabia with my
Dad who had got a more better job in the city of Al-Khobar. I was then enrolled into Al Khozama International School. It was just another normal school day when my class-mate got 5 dollars from the United States and 10 Russian ruble. He also made fun of me and teased me for not having a currency collection. So , obviously it was a very bad day for me since I was just 11 years old at that time. I rushed home after school and cried out to my mum. As soon as my dad came back from his job , mum and dad heard my story and encouraged me to start off my own collection. I took it very seriously and started to collect currencies beginning with whatever I had with me. My dad also asked his collegues at officies who were generous enough to give me whatever they had. I also started to trade in whatever coins and banknotes I had in excess with my fellow collectors at school. That was how , my collection got bigger and bigger day by day. I also used to go to a nearby Laundry whose in-charge (a SriLankan) gave me lots of lots
of coins and notes from countries such as Yemen , Pakistan and China just to name a few. When I look back at those times , I would like to say a big thank you to all those who helped me come this far.
2011 was a really bad time for me. I had to move in to a residential school back in India where I got no coins. But going there made my start philately , or stamp collecting. My friends there regularly got post from UK and the US. They were glad to give it to me. But I am not much into Philately right now. Fortunately , I moved to Qatar by the beginning of 2012 where I live right now. I enrolled into IIS where I again began to trade coins and notes. However my mum was against this as she believed trading currencies at school is not good and I might get caught by the school principal. Vacations were also very rewarding. My grandmum gave me British India coins dating back to 1915 and beyond. Those are the coins I prize in my collection. This vacation I also got Maldivian rufiyaa which wanted desperately , thanks to my uncle ! I have also inspired my brother to start a collection who now seems to be very much involved in this great hobby.
