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Punched Marked Coins

Characteristics history ancient history
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ancient
history ancient
These coins were made from flat sheets of metals with symbols hammered later.
They continued to circulate in many parts till early centuries AD and in peninsula for much longer.
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These has shared
coins were a
most likely issued by state though the possibility of guild issued coins in some areas cannot be
notebook
Coins
ruled out. with you.
The marks included sun, tree, mountain, wheel, animals, geometric designs etc. These could have religious or political
significance.Join Notebook Pu
Often they also have a secondary punch mark which was added later without reheating the coin.
Classification nch
They are divided into 4 series based on their weight, number and nature of punch marks and area of circulation. ed
The Taxila-Gandhara type in NW had heavy weight standard and single punch. Ma
The Kosala type in middle Gangetic valley had heavy weight and multiple punches.
rke
Magadhan style had lighter weight and multiple punches
Politico-Administrative
Avanti type in W India had light weight and single punch. Life d
Significance 2/4/12 Harappan Culture Political System Some Coi
The discovery of many hoards suggestsscholars
that taxhavepayment wasHarappan
argued that also done in wcash.
cities ere ns
These coins have been found in S Indiaautonomous
as well in cities
megalithic age suggesting
or city states. It doesn't carry development of N-S trade. Items of import
Cha
from S were gold, pearls and precious stones.
Saka-Pahlava / Saka-Scythian CoinsSocial Life ract
Significance 2/4/12 Harappa Social Divisions The city w as divided into a citadel eris
One series of coins of Saka king, Moga, found
area (to the watest)
Taxila
w hereshow Greek institutions
the essential god Zeusof with a scepter
civic life w ould in his left
tics hand and
Goddess Nike in his right indicating he be conquered Indo-Greeks
located w ith important publicof Gandhara
places together region.
w ith a larger resi... 1.
Some coins suggest the practice of conjoint rule.
T
Indo-Greek Coins Economic Life
Characteristics 2/4/12 Harappa Culture Agriculture They used to
h
They circulated to south of Hindukush. plough
They their
are fields
well minted, die-struck,
using w ooden round and usually made of silver. First
plough. Evidences e coins
to be found south of Hindukush were ofcome Dimitrius. His empire extended up
from early Harappan levels of Kalibangan and to east Punjab and Sind. But while she was
in India there wa sa revolt back home in Bactria by Eukratidis and after conquering Bactria he pushed towards India as
e
well. Probably he could extend his empire up toSources
Literary western Punjab and Jhelum.
They bear the name, portrait of the kings 2/4/12onForeign
one side and Greek
Accounts religious symbols
Accounts on the
Alexander left other.
c
detailedThey were the first coins
which can be definitely attributed to anyhistorical
kings. and geographical accounts of his invasion. This helps us o
Significance in understanding the geography of the age and also clearly build i
Coins of Menander (found as far north as Kabul to as far south as Mathura) and Strato show them slowly aging from
teens to old men indicating their long rules. n
Foreign Contacts
Many coins have been issued jointly indicating conjoint
2/4/12 Iranian Invasionrule.Causes Darius, the king of Iran penetrated
s
The reverse of the coins usually had religious symbols indicating the religion of
Hindukush and captured Kamboja, Gandhara and Sind in 516 BC. He the king. Some of their coins
w are of
Athenian 'owl' type indicating continued ties with Mediterranean (since such
could do it because: The region w as inhabited by several small
coins were in circulation e around
Mediterranean). Such symbols were Indian indicating their indianization. Deities could be depicted iconographically or
as symbols. They also tell us about theReligion
spread & ofPhilosophy
various religions in that time and also about the secular nature r of the
greek polity. In the choice of motifs, the2/3/12
copper coins
Jainism wereTo
Spread generally
spread hismore eclectic
teaching, specific to the region. e
andorganized
Mahavira
They followed Indian weight system indicating their indianization.
an order of follow ers w hich included both men and w omen. It m
These coins were bilingual and biscript indicating that coins were minted keeping regional needs in mind. Scripts used
spread into Karnataka via CGM and the great Magadhan famine a
were Greek and Kharosti.
Some coins were restruck indicating conflicts or succession. d
Vedic Age
It changed the tradition of coin minting2/3/12
in India. Until then coins were of irregular
Expansion of Aryans into India The treaty betw een Hitties
shape and only some e were
signs
punched on them. Now they became much more standardized and the image of the ruler began to appear. f
and Mitannis dating to 1400 BC refers to Indra, Mitra, Varuna and
Impact of Greek Contacts
Nasatya and curiously omits Agni and Soma - the important gods in r
In war strategies, drama, coin minting, calendar, medicinal system, astrology, philosophy.
Satvahna Coins o
Map Work
Characteristics m
1/29/12 Abohar (Firozpur, Punjab) Built by a Bhatti
Most Satvahna coins were die struck though some were casted as well. f
rajput king. The governor of Multan revolted against
They were mainly lead coin, though copper and bronze money was also issued.
MBT and w as defeated here. Ibn Batuta speaks of it
The legends were generally in Prakrit language in Bramhi script. But the portrait coins use a dravidian language l and
Brahmi script. a
Coins
Significance t
1/29/12 Punched Marked Coins Characteristics These coins w ere
Gautamiputra Satk arni (106-130 AD) s
made from flat sheets of metals w ith symbols hammered later. They
He restruck Saka king Nahapana's coins at Jogalthambi in Nasik which indicates he had defeated the Sakas. His
continued to circulate
coins have also been found in Malwa, Maharastra, Kathiawar, in many
APparts
andtillKarnataka.
early centuries AD and in h
Yajnasri Satk arni (165-194 AD) e
They depict a ship and have been found from Malwa and Gujarat indicating he had 8-14 recaptured
of 14 notes these areas from
e
Sakas.
Saka-Kshatrap Coins
Saka-Kshatrap Coins
The largest number of coins were issued by W Sakas who benefitted from the sea trade of Gujarat. They issued large
number of silver coins.
Kshaharatas
Bhumak
His coins are found in coastal Gujarat, Malwa and Ajmer.
He originally owed allegiance to Kanishka. His coins are in Brahmi and Kharosti.
Nahapana (119-25 AD)
His gold and silver coins style him rajan. They have been found from Ajmer and Nasik. His capital was Minnagara and
his empire stretched from Lower Indus, Rajasthan, Malwa, Gujarat, N Maharastra.
Since none of his coins mention any overlord, he ruled more or less independently.
More than 8K coins of Saka king Nahapana have been found in Nasik, restruck by Gautamiputra Satkarni. This tells us
that Gautamiputra Satkarni had indeed defeated the Saka king.
Kushana Coins
Kadphises Coins
Kadphises I
He issued copper coins in imitation of Roman coins.
His coins were found south of Hindukush indicating Kushana incursion into India began in his rule. His initial coins tell
us he was a feudatory of the last Greek king, Hermius. But later on he began to issue coins in his own name.
His coins show an association with Buddhism.
The practice of conjoint rule can be seen from his later coins.
His coins use Greek script on one side and Kharosti on the other.
Kadphises II
He crossed the Indus and captured Taxila and Punjab as well. He issued gold coins even as far as Bengal and Odisha.
But the gold coins could have circulated there for intrinsic value as well. This at least indicates trade relations.
His copper coins show an association with Siva as they show images of Siva, Nandi and trident.
He assumes very high sounding titles in his coins indicating the presence of a feudatory system.
His coins use Greek script on one side and Kharosti on the other.
Kushana Coins
Characteristics
These coins were dinar type gold coins.
The coins were issued west of Indus only though their empire included Gangetic basin as well.
For day-to-day transactions, there were copper and lead coins. The presence of large number of copper coins is a
proof that the monetization level in the economy had increased to a great extent even among the common people. The
standardization of the coins also shows that the monetization had penetrated deep enough among in the economy.
In one set of coins his name is written in Greek while in the other in Persian script. In his gold coins, the obverse has
his own image while the reverse has the image of a god / goddess.
Significance
The dinar type coins obviously indicate Roman influence.
The decreasing purity of the coins with time indicate decline of Kushana prosperity.
The Kushanas use the title 'devaputras' indicating attempts to link divinity with kingship.
Kanishka's coins show Indian (Buddha, Uma, Siva), Greek as well as Iranian (Mayo the moon and Maero the sun)
religious symbols. This indicates his religious tolerance in terms of state policy. His successor Huvishka's coins show
both Buddhism and Sivaism while his successor Vasudeva's coins show Sivaism. It also shows that Sivaism was the
most popular religion in that region along with Buddhism.
The use of Bactrian language in his coins indicates that Bactria was the centre of his empire.
Gupta Coins
Characteristics
The Guptas issued large number of gold coins called dinar. The obverse generally had a representation of the king and
reverse a deity.
The silver coins had the king on the obverse and a motif (garuda) on the reverse. Copper coins are rare.
Significance
Earliest coins have been found in UP indicating UP was the beginning site of the Guptas. Some coins of a prince
Kacha after CG-1 have been found indicating SG had a political adversary who he eliminated.
Gupta coins throw light on the military trends of the age. Horsemen are shown on the coins, not chariots or elephants.
This shows that horsemen were increasing in importance and chariots and elephants decreasing.
Garuda indicates mark of Vishnu. Images of durga and laxmi on the coins indicate shakti worship was becoming
popular. Ashvamedha coins indicate prevalence of brahmanical rituals among the ruling class to claim legitimacy.
These coins also throw light on script of the age and are pieces of miniature art.
Gupta gold coins were 10g each and were found only in urban centers and along the trade routes thus indicating they
were not used by commoners. Gupta copper coins are very few (no copper coins have been recovered before CG II
except Ramgupta and even after that they remain rare), which suggest the depth of monetization of economy was very
shallow. Coins were not used in day-to-day transactions by common people. Even the literature tells us gold coins
were used by the big merchants in big transactions and commoners used barter or shells or copper powder (Fa-Hein).
The coins were also getting debased towards the later years of the empire. LR was also paid in kind indicating
monetization was not high.
They show the qualities expected of a ruler - warrior, brave, sacrifices and protector of social order, patron of art.
CG I's coin show him with his Licchavi wife indicating Licchavis were still an important political force. His coins were
CG I's coin show him with his Licchavi wife indicating Licchavis were still an important political force. His coins were
the first to have the title maharajadhiraja indicating he was the first important ruler. It also indicates the feudal nature of
polity.
SG's coins tell us he was an illustrious warrior. His coins mention that he performed ashvamedha yajna and was
invincible. SG's coins show him in various poses - indicating various qualities he possessed or claimed to possess.
Archer type coin, battle-axe type, killing a tiger, ashvamedha type, standard type (he holds a staff and performs a
sacrifice), veena type. The tiger type coins show he had conquered Bengal since tigers are only found there. His title in
the coins also indicates his conquests.
CG II's coins contain the titles - param-bhagvata (which tells us about his being vaishnavite and the divine association
of kingship) and vik ramaditya. This tells us he was a vaishnavite and defeated a foreign ruler, possibly Saka. His silver
coins also tell us that he defeated the sakas because silver coins were circulated by Sakas only.
Kumargupta's peacock coins indicate he was a follower of Kartik eya. His coins also show him performing ashvamedha
yajna.
Skandagupta also uses the title vik ramaditya indicating he defeated the Huns.
These coins tell us about the metallurgical skills, level of prosperity and indication of monetization in the economy.
They were also called dinars indicating Roman trade links. Many Gupta coins have been found in hoards and some are
in mint condition which (together with their aesthetic beauty) led some scholars to believe that they were meant for
presentation only and not circulation. But obviously this was not the case.