Debiprasad Mangaraj, a numismatist from Bhubaneswar, said that he has decided to sell around two lakh coins from his collection of eight lakh ranging from ancient to present era.
"I have coins and notes from countries all around the globe and different eras. I have decided to donate the money to state and Central government funds to help the fight against COVID-19," Mangaraj told here.
He said that there are also coins from the era of Panchal, Ashoka, and Nizam in his collection.
"I even have some coins that date back to the time when the barter system was used. There are also coins from around 20 different countries and also coins made of plastic, gold, and other precious metals," Mangaraj said.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister of various states have urged people to donate to the relief funds in a bid to help the government fight against the deadly disease.
This comes as the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
( With inputs from ANI )