Thread by @INDArtCulture

𝐂𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐀

- First recorded use of coins in China and Greece in 700BCE

- In India – 6th Cen BCE

- Numismatics – the study of coins and medallions

PC -india-coins.blogpost.com , Amazon

𝑷𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔

- Ashtadyayi mentioned about punched coins

- Each unit – Ratti – weighing 0.11gm

- Two classifications – Punched coins
A)issued by Mahajanapadas and
B) issued during the Mauryan Period

𝑷𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒋𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒔

- Called as Puranas,Pana or Karshapanas

- issuing of coins dates back to the 7th-6th Century BC

- punched-mark coins made in silver.

- Irregular shaped and std weight

PC -worldofcoins.eu

- Initially issued by merchant guilds and later, by the state.

- Magadha – 5 symbols – most circulated coins in south Asia

𝑷𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒅

- Rupyarupa, Tamrarupa, Suvarnarupa, Sisarupa – all mentioned in Arthashastra written by Kautilya

- Coin contained 50-54grains of silver

- 32 rattis in weight – Karshapana

PC -Wikipedia

𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒐-𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔

- Legends mentioned in two languages – Greek and Kharosthi

- Greek god and goddess on coins – Hercules, Apollo,

- Zeus, Pallas Athene – Initially

- Laters Indian deities imaged on the coins

PC -Vcoins, -mintageworld.com

- Detailed information about issuing monarch

- Coins of Silver, copper, Nickel, Lead

- Coins of greek kind – bilingual – Greek and Pali(kharosthi script)

- Kushan Empire who become the first Indian Empire to issue gold coins

- Kushan gold coins - influence Gupta dynasty

- more rich and elaborate a wide variety of events in the design

- artistic and personal accomplishments of royal members

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒔

- Satavahanas – 232BCE – 227CE

- Mostly used lead

- Used alloy of silver and copper – Potin – Knowledge of metallurgy

PC -Wikipedia

- Very less beauty and artistic merits

- On one side – Elephant, Horse, Lion or charity

- On the other side – Ujjain symbol

- Language – Prakrit

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑾𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒔

- In Malwa, Kathiawar and Gujarat region

- Western Satraps – 35-405CE

- On one side – Head of the kingdom

- On other side – Buddhist Chaityas or Stupa

- Prakrit language used

PC -Wikipedia

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑮𝒖𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒔

- Gupta dynasty – 319 -550CE

- Gupta coins – mainly made up of Gold; also issued silver and copper coins

- Silver Coins – only after Chandragupta II

- On one side – King standing; performing Ashwamedha; riding horse or elephant

PC -spink.com

- On other side – Goddess Lakshmi on throne

- Sanskrit(Brahmi Script) used

- Coins depicts various events – hunting, with weapons, leisurely activities reverse side Goddess

- After Gupta age - southern India - moving towards gold std inspired by the Roman Gold Coins

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑽𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒔

- Harshavardhan - Silver coins issued

- On one side – Head of the King

- On other Side – peacock

PC -forumancientcoins.com

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒌𝒚𝒂𝒔

- Western Chalukyan dynasty – by Pulkesin I – 6th cen. CE
- Capital city – Badami

- On one side – Image of temple, lion, legend

- On other Side – blank/design

- Eastern Chalukyan dynasty – symbol of boar at the centre

PC -mintageworld.com

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒋𝒑𝒖𝒕𝒔

- Mostly gold coins, copper or billion (alloy of Ag + Cu); rarely silver coins

Two types
A) Type 1 – by Kalachuris, Chandellas, Tomars, Rathores
- On one side – Name of king in Sanskrit
- On other Side – Goddess

PC-Indianetzone

Type 2 – by King of Gandhara/Sindh – silver coins
- On one side – seated bull
- On other Side – a horseman

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑷𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒚𝒂𝒔

- Pandyan – square-shaped – images of elephant initially

- Later – Fish became a very important symbol

- Silver Coins – Sanskrit

- Copper Coins – Tamil

PC -Wikipedia, Vcoins

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒔

- Chola – Raja Raja I

- On one side – Standing King

- On other Side – seated goddess

- Rajendra I coins – Sri Rajendra or Gangaikonda Chola

- legends with tiger and fish

- Pallava Dynasty – figures of a lion on coins

PC -worldofcoins.eu

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑻𝒖𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒉𝒊 𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆

- King’s name, title and dates-as per Hijri calendar

- No any image of the monarch

- Delhi Sultanate – Gold, Silver and Billon/copper coins

- Silver Tanka & Copper Jital – by Iltumash

PC -coinindia.com

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒔

- Coins – Mohur

- Abu Fazl – Ain-i-Akbari – Mohur=9 rupees

- Silver rupees – adoption from Sher Shah’s currency

- Akbar – both round and square coins

- Gold coins – Ilahi coins

- Jahangir – legends in a couplet

PC -The Hindu

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒔

- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

- symbol of sovereignty

- Special Shivrai Hons – Gold coins

- Rajmudra – The Royal Seal - not coins

"प्रतिपच्चंद्रलेखेव वर्धिष्णुर्विश्ववंदिता
शाहसुनोः शिवस्यैषा मुद्रा भद्राय राजते"

PC -Itl.cat, -mintageworld

𝑪𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑽𝒊𝒋𝒂𝒚𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆

- Issued large quantities of Gold coins; some pure silver and copper

- Pagodas – higher denomination – figure of warrior and dagger symbol

- Fanams – Gold – Fractional Unit

- Targs – Silver – Fractional units

PC-coinindia

- Day to day basis – Copper coins

- Gold Varahan coins – issued by Krishna Deva Raya

- On one side – Seated Vishnu

- On another side – Legend in 3 lines – Shri Pratap Krishna Raya in Sanskrit

PC- Marudhar Arts

References:

-Coinindia.com
-Coin Museum, Nashik
-Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
-Indian Art and Culture by Gaurav Agarwal

Please find the PDF here

drive.google.com/file/d/1xotGaH…