The series of events that culminated in the birth of the Azad Hind Fauj, the Indian National Army, has hardly been documented in history. An album containing 54 pictures of the Azad Hind Fauj including an autographed photo of Subhash

Chandra Bose will be auctioned on Saturday at Churchgate.

The album promises to bring alive the era through a vivid portrayal of the day-to-day activities of the army that was building up in a small town in Germany . All the 54 photos pasted on 12 black folios in a later day album are of day-to-day activities of the Indian National Army formed from volunteers of Indian POW’s (Prisoner of Wars) taken by Germany in North Africa .

The division was stationed in a small German town of Koenigsbruck. Seen in the album are Netaji, Captain Kurt Gerber, a German officer training the Indian volunteers and Indian and German soldiers. The album was gifted to the present owner, an Indian engineer by Captain Gerber. It is estimated that the bid will start at Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000.

Apart from the photographs, a medal (also called decoration) of Azad Hind Fauj will also be auctioned along with a hand- written letter signed by Netaji organized in conjunction with the 17 th Shukla Day Bombay Coin Fair on Saturday.

Netaji’s letter, rare photographs and the medal are one of the few items that will be auctioned along with the coins, tokens, medals and paper money. But the principle attraction at the auction will be Reserve Bank of India ’s Rs 5000 notes circulated for inter-bank purposes between 1954-1978, which was demonetized by the Morarji Desai government. The note is estimated to sell at Rs three lakh at the start of the auction.

Todywalla’s started auctioning few years back countrywide to commemorate S M Shukla, a noted numismatic and a former curator at the Prince of Wales museum.

“The letter dated 5 th November 1925, written to the chief commissioner of the Mandalay Jail, requesting the latter to visit him as he had a conflict with the acting superintendent of the jail,” said Malcom Todywalla. Malcom (25), his father Farokh (52) and brother Kaizad (32) all numismatist run Todywalla Auctions – The only auction facilitators for coins, medals, bank notes and curios in the country.

The largest coin exhibition cum auction is a platform to bring together dealers and collectors who want to complete their collection. The auction is an attempt to make this coin line more streamlined. As Kaizad points out, ‘this sector has no market regulator and no benchmark for prices’.

“Because of the absence of a market regulator we don’t have printed prices. However one advantage is that coins are very well researched. Several books on particular dynasty or even eras are written,” said Malcom. Todywalla’s themselves have kept 322 lots (items to sell) at the auction along with 75 other dealers.

“There is a complete lack of awareness especially among villagers who possess these invaluable coins. We lose out on our coin heritage as they melt it down for bullion value. We also should have tax rebates for purchase,” said Kaizad.