Deep History & Origin of Coins in India – Coinage of India

Coinage of India – A deep history

Coinage of India – During the first millennium BCE and the sixth century BCE, the ancient Indian currency establishment began. Coins made from copper and silver were used throughout this time.

The coins established during ancient India consisted of metal bars. The metal stamped bar was originally influenced by the coinage in use during the Janpadas’ prehistoric era, which proceeded with the ascent of various monarchs.

1st PMC Coinage of India may have been printed by Indo-Gangetic plain in 6th century BC, & coins of this period were PMC called Puranas, old Karshapanas, or Pana.

Bronze Age 

In the Indian setting, there is no indication that Harappans employed standard-weight metals like silver for commerce and commercial activity.

Coins from the Vedic era – Nishka (gold) and Nishka Greeva are mentioned in the Rigveda. Nishka, Suvarna, Shatamana, and pada were already mentioned in later Vedic writings.

During the Janapadas Coinage of India

The coin utilization on the subcontinent comes from the 6th to 5th centuries BCE. Buddhist writings and Panini’s Ashtadhyayi use terminology it indicated commercial growth. served as the primary measure of weight for Indian coinage (Abrus precatorius).

Coins with punch marks. The greatest role of currency became formed through the transfer of punch-marked coins, which were mostly made of silver and rarely copper. the shape became square and at times it was rectangular.

Punches and dies opted to hammer the symbols on them. 

On all continents, the Punch coins became popular in the older century The Taxila-Gandhara form, the Kosala version, the Avanti form, as well as the Magadhan type are the four subtypes of such Punch mark coin series. These coins don’t bear any legends on them that may reveal information about the empire.

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The Mauryas and Coinage of India

To ensure their validity, the Mauryan Empire utilized punch-marked coins with royal standards.

Indo-Greek developed coins.

The Indo-Greeks struck a series of coins in the 2nd/1st centuries BCE. the Indo-Greek method became stable.

The coins consisted of silver and got a geometrical appearance such as round, rectangular-shaped outliers and they possessed the title of kings as well. Kharoshthi script got utilized as the language on these coins.

Kushana form of coins

The Kushanas (1st-4th Century CE) were the first Indian kingdom to mint gold coins in substantial quantities. Coins made out of copper undergo few modifications.

The obverse of the coins bore the ruler’s image and title and the other side had gods.

The Imperial Guptas minted coins

The Imperial Guptas Mmodelled well-crafted gold coins with significant Sanskrit inscriptions along with dies on them. The majority of those coins, also termed dinars, were discovered in Northern India. The many monarchs got the symbols of martial but can also be artistic.

The Gupta coins got created in enormous quantities in gold and are known for their outstanding visual appeal. During the later Guptas, however, gold quality began to deteriorate.

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After the Guptas

Starting From 530 CE to 1202 CE, kingdoms like the Gurjaras, Pratiharas, Chalukyas, Paramaras, and Palas can be classified as Indo-Sassanian themed currency.    

The front of these coins featured a modified geometrical bust of the governing royal, while the reverse had a pattern that looked like a fire altar.

The Imperial Cholas coinage

The imperial Cholas’ currency resembled the coins made by the South Indian dynasty. A tiger crest appeared on Chola coins. The Pandyas and Cheras’ emblems, such as the fish and bow, implied a democratic expansion of such political forces.

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