Bangladesh has only made its own coins since 1974 and the important nation’s coins are a great introduction to south Asian collecting. The relatively small number and still-brief history of Bangladesh coins means it’s possible to reasonably strive for a complete set of the types of coins you like. Exploring Bangladeshi coins also means learning about the proud history and culture of the region.
There are many ways to construct a collection of Bangladesh coins. For example, you could get one of the smallest circulating coin from each year. Or a complete uncirculated set from some or every possible year. You may be attracted to Bangladesh silver proof coins. Whatever way you choose, Bangladesh coinage is simple and straightforward enough to be manageable while also being lots of fun to collect.
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Brief History of Bangladesh Coins
Bangladesh gained its independence from Pakistan in 1971, with the help of India. Bangladesh borders the Assam region of northeast India and Burma (a.k.a. Myanmar). Bangladesh shares cultural links with these and other areas in the region, and this includes its coinage.
What About Coins Before “Bangladesh” Existed?
Historically, the area now known as Bangladesh was part of the various empires, kingdoms and sultanates that came and went over the past several centuries. Coins from these various states were used in what is now Bangladesh. In 1947, when India gained independence from Britain and went through partition to create Pakistan, the area near the Bay of Bengal had been part of the Bengal Presidency. From this point, however, it became part of Pakistan; Bangladesh was called “East Pakistan” from 1947 until 1971. (It used the same coins as West Pakistan.)
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The new nation called itself Bangladesh and took the taka as its main unit of currency. (Early transliterations of the country’s names into English varied between “Bangladesh” and “Bangla Desh”; note when searching sales listings of Bangladesh coins that some sellers will still use the less-common two-word form.)
Bangladesh is Islamic, like Pakistan, but culturally closer to India. The Bengali script, for example, is used on Bangladesh coins. Bangladesh uses a decimalized currency system; one taka is equal to 100 poisha. (The word “poisha” is related to paisa, a unit of currency used in places such as India and Nepal.)
Buying Bangladesh Coins Today
As the coinage history of modern Bangladesh is short, there haven’t been as many special commemorative proof coins and collectors-only pieces as other nations. However, there are several special-issue Bangladeshi silver coins to choose from, and the marketplace generally features quite a few nice examples for interested buyers.
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Whether you want to focus on coins from the modern People’s Republic of Bangladesh, coins from past states that oversaw the same area, or a mixture of both, keep an eye on the current selection of Bangladesh coins for sale. It’s a small area of the collecting world but an important one, and turnover of sales listings from reliable, experiences vendors is high. Have fun watching for the latest listings of cool Bangladeshi coins!
