NUMISMATICS

…Short notes & questions

(By Ravi Roshan)
1. Who had first introduced gold coins in India?

Ans. Kushan Emperor Vima Kadaphises at around 100 CE.

2. When did the World’s first coins appeared?

Ans. The world’s first coin appeared around 600 BC by the Ancient Greece.
(now Turkey) (the Lydians)

3. Who had first introduced coins in India?

Ans. The first coin was introduced by Mahajanapadas of Indo-Gangetic Plain

around 6th century BC.

4. Who had first introduced Copper Coins in India?

Ans.

5. Who had first introduced Silver Coin in India?

Ans. _____

6. What is Tanka?

Ans. The currency made up of Gold, Silver and Copper known as Tanka.

7. What is Jittals?

Ans. The lower valued coin known as Jittals.

13. Who had first issued Punched Marked Coins in India?

Ans. Punched Marked Coins known as Puranas or old Karshapanas was first
issued by Mahajanapadas.

14. Which of the Coins were majorly used by the Mauryan Empire?

Ans. Mauryan empire mostly used Silver Coins and a few copper pieces of
metal in various shape, sizes and weights.

15. Which Period is known as the Golden Age of Indian Coinage?

Ans. Gupta Period

16. Where was the first hoard of Gupta Coins found?

Ans. It was found at Kalighat in Calcutta in 1783 AD.

17. Which of the images were mostly used in Silver Coins by the Gupta Rulers?

Ans. They mostly used the image of Garuda, a mythical bird of Hindu Tradition
and in some cases they replaced Garuda with Peacock.

18. From where did the word rupee Originated?

Ans. The word Rupee originated from Sanskrit word Rupya which means
shaped, stamped, impressed and also from the Sanskrit work raupya which
means Silver.

19. Which Gupta Rulers issued Asvamedha or horse sacrifice coins?

Ans. Samudragupta and Kumaragupta I

20. Which Gupta Rulers issued “King-Queen” types of Coins?

Ans. Chandragupta I, Kumaragupta I and Skandagupta

21. How did we find the name of the queen of Chandragupta I?

Ans. It was found from the King-Queen type of coin which Chandragupta I
issued depicting the name of the queen.

22. Which goddess image was mainly depicted in the Coins by Gupta Rulers?
Ans. Goddess Laxmi

23. Is it the merchant or state issued the first coins during 6th Century BC?

Ans. It was first issued by Merchant guilds and later by the State.

26. What of the different coins were issued by Chandragupta Maurya during
Maurya Period?

Ans. Chanakya, the Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya referred different

coins as follows:-

 Gold Coin as Suvarnarupa

 Lead Coins as Sisarupa
 Copper Coins as Tamrarupa
 Silver Coins as Rupyarupa

28. Which Iranian God Portrayed in the Vasishka Gold Dinar Coins?

Ans. Iranian God Ardochso.

29. Which Language Kanishka switched to after initially using Greek Language
on the Gold Coins?

Ans. Bactrian Language, an Iranian Language which was spoken in the Central
Asian Region of Bactria (present day Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan).
More on History of Coins.

31. Which Coins was issued by King Harshavardhana?

Ans. Harshavardhana never initiated any coins but copied the “Eastern
Peacock” type of Kumaragupta from Gupta Period