Ancient Coins In India

Coins have always been interesting items of history. They have been accumulated through time by many art collectors and even art investors. Art collectors keep rare coins for the purpose of personal enjoyment whilst art investors keep and resell coins for the purpose of profit generation. Whatever the reasons may be, coin collections are like books – they always tell a story.

In the case of India, recent releases of coins are mostly resemblances of old coins or coins already in circulation; making the original coins already forgotten and at times corrupted and the new coins begin to introduce new implications and components of the nation´s history.

Below are just very few examples of India´s old coins that reflected the era and conditions of the nation.

First Coins from Gandharan Empire

Though the information about the very first coins of India is widely known, some do not quite accept the notion that it was the foreigners who introduced coinage. They prefer to acknowledge it as a form of independent creation by India. Gandhara was a subject of the empire of Persia in the 6th century BC. Shatamanas is the earliest coin during the Gandharan times and said to be possibly based on the Persian siglos coinage. Shatamanas were said to have been circulated for a long period of time, but the production ended uncertainly.

A Phallic Coin of India

Omkareshvar coin, a bronze drama in the 11th century from Omkaresvara, India has a design based on the Sassian fire altar - Drachm. It was created about 500 years earlier. The front design that was the Head of the Emperor became the Lingam of Siva, a phallic symbol. What was before the fire altar became a series of lines.

Coin of the Sikh Empire

During the 15th century in India, a progressive religion referred to as Sikhism was established, taken from both Muslim and Hindu traditions. The Copper 1 Paisa, coin during this Sikhism era, has a design of a leaf. And it was at this time also that the founded Sikhism Empire came to decline.

Rare Coins from Danish India

Somewhere in 1620, Denmark founded its first colony in India. Later, they established a mint that was to provide coinage to their colonies. These rare coins were small, crude, and made of copper: Danish India Copper Coin and Mixed Danish India Copper Coin, both from the 18th to 19th century.

Last Coin from Portuguese India

Portugal founded a colony in India and enjoyed for sometime a propitious trade with the latter. One example of their colonial coins is the 10-centavo Portuguese India coin during the year 1961. The coin has a design of the arms of Portuguese India.

Well, coins are not merely interesting items of history, as I have said earlier; they are rather evidences and framework of both history and literature of every nation. They become symbols of the lives and reign of historical rulers and leaders of India. Although much may still be said about the ancient coins of India, coins represent a single theme – the evolution of life.

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