KOLKATA: All the 32 countries playing in World Cup have brought out currency notes that have “zero” value but are commemorative of the football fever that grips the world every four years. City-based notaphilist Anindya Kar has collected two of these belonging to Germany and Belgium. These, along with currencies of the 32 countries — some extremely rare — are on display at his Baghajatin home as part of an exhibition he has organised to celebrate World Cup 2018.The European Union came into being in 1993 after the Maastricht Treaty between Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl . Since then Euro has been the accepted currency of 19 countries, out of which six are playing this time. Apart from the currencies that are in vogue in these countries, Kar also has rare currency notes that are no longer in circulation. Take the case of the five Rouble antique note printed in Russia in 1909. This was one of the last notes from Tsar Nikolas II before the First World War. “While everybody watched Russia in the World Cup, not many knew about this currency,” Kar said.He held a £5 polymer note that Great Britain had printed in 2016 and which ran into controversy after reports of presence of animal fat in its composition. Finally, it had to be scrapped. Also, there’s the £10 note in his collection, which the GB government has been showing off as “fake proof” since it came into circulation in 2017. Interestingly, this note also bears the likeness of 19th century novelist, Jane Austen, on the reverse side, the only woman who has ever featured in a pound note (the right side of course bears the picture of Queen Elizabeth II). Kar showed notes from Brazil and Costa Rica where one can see pictures of animals found in these countries, instead of that of a state head or any human figure.Kar, a retired senior management employee of ONGC , has a vast collection of rare Indian and world currencies with which he has been holding exhibitions in schools across the state to educate kids in the history of currencies.

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