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As many as 25 stamp ingots in India have been minted in precious metals, writes Man Mohan WORLD specialists in historic commemorative stamp issues in precious metals, the Hallmark Group has come out with the first most important stamp ingot collection ever produced for India called ‘The Pride of India Collection.’
It is the first stamp ingot collection ever to be produced for India, and its release is strictly limited to 7,500 editions worldwide. For more than 30 years, the Hallmark Group has collaborated with world governments and philatelic organisations throughout the world to celebrate and commemorate important national events. "We work with the finest artists and sculptors to re-create historic postage stamps as exquisitely engraved replicas, flawlessly minted in pure (.999) Swiss silver and layered with 24 carat gold," Ajay Sachdeva, Hallmark India’s MD, said.
To ensure the highest quality, each precious image has been sculpted by the world’s finest artists and minted by Swiss craftsmen. Pure silver ingots (Swiss .999) are placed in a huge 360 ton minting press and struck with massive pressure to bring out every tiny detail of the original design. Perforations are precision diamond cut, and each stamp ingot is layered with pure 24-carat gold to create a perfect golden masterpiece. ‘The Pride of India Collection’ is a strictly limited edition of only 7,500 complete collections worldwide. Once the edition limit is reached, the dies will be defaced so that they can never be used again. The stamp ingots are sent at the rate of one per month until the individual collection is complete, beginning within 30 days of receipt of an individual’s request. Though each stamp ingot will vary in size to conform to the original stamp, the price of each has been fixed at Rs. 6,000. The total cost of the collection (comprising 25 ingots) is Rs. 1,50,000. "The Pride of India Collection’s defining theme is to showcase the achievements of our country,"`A0said Sachdeva, "and the progress made in diverse fields to a fraternity comprising philatelists, discerning and tasteful art`A0lovers and a host of individuals who perceive this collection as a great treasure to possess and a wonderful memento to gift to their near and dear ones."
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It
has been issued under the authority of Department of Posts, Government
of India. The entire programme has been introduced and endorsed by
former President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
A
rare collection of stamps from the archives of Department of Posts was
selected to collectively showcase India’s social, cultural,
historical and artistic Diaspora and thus feature eminent
personalities, monuments, events of historical significance, pieces of
art (paintings, motifs, dance etc) and scientific strides.