Coins are the bits of metal that have been doled out a worth and stepped with a planned affirmed by the overseeing authority. The historical backdrop of the colonial coins has advanced after some time. Purchasing and selling started with cowrie shells and dots being utilized as cash. This utilization of item cash made ready for the trade framework. Coins from around the globe have advanced from the issues that were related with the trade framework. The rare coins in India also hold very strong place in this history of world of coins.
0 Comments
History of Medieval India went for just about three hundred years under the indigenous rulers, which incorporated the Chalukyas, the Pallavas, the Pandyas, the Rashtrakutas, the muslim rulers lastly the Mughal Empire. The most significant line to rise in the ninth century was that of the Cholas. Several historians view the death of Emperor Aurangzeb as the end of medieval Indian history and the start of Modern Indian history. However, famous rulers weren’t the only thing that came out of the Medieval India; there are many rare coins in Medieval India that are of great value. Studying the coinage of India is fascinating and challenging at the same time because of its expansive scope and time-range. Today, we will explore three rare copper coins that were issued during three different periods namely, ancient, medieval and colonial. Copper Daler of Chandragupta II These extremely rare ancient coins of India were issued under the reign of Chandragupta II. Chandragupta II was also known as Vikramaditya. He is considered to be the greatest emperor of Gupta Empire who ruled from 375 AD to 415 AD. This copper Daler weighs around 2 to 3 grams and their diameter varies from 19 to 23 millimetres. It belongs to the Bust Type series and is categorised as var. c and var. D. Depending on the visibility of legends, the variations can be identified. They were produced using the die-struck minting technique depicting the king’s portrait, necklace, garuda, altar and snake. The obverse side depicts the king’s bust to the left, wearing a necklace, holding flower in his right hand. The reverse side shows a Garuda standing on an altar in variety C holding a snake in mouth within a dotted border. The Legend reads "Chandraguptah" in variety D without an altar. Another legend reads "shrichandraguptaha" Antique coins of India from the colonial period carry a lot of historical significance. Let’s learn about three rare colonial coins that were issued by the Danish East India Company, East India Company and British India. 10 Cash Copper Coin of Danish East India Company These antique coins of India were issued by the Danish East India Company during the reign of Frederik IV who ruled from 25th August 1699 AD to 12th October 1730 AD. They bear the denomination 10 Cash and were struck in 10 grams of copper. These round-shaped colonial coins were issued in the year 1700 using the die-struck minting technique. The obverse side depicts a crowned double F4 Monogram while the reverse side depicts a crowned DAC Monogram, denomination 10 and KASS below. 2 Mohur Gold Coin of East India Company These are considered to be one of the rarest coins of India that were issued by East India Company in 1854. They bear the denomination Two Mohurs and were issued during the reign of Queen Victoria. These antique Indian coins were die-struck in 11.66 grams of Gold and have a diameter of 32.5 millimetres. The year date featured on the coin follows the Anno Domini Calendar System. They are found in three versions. One was struck at Calcutta mint, another one is a proof version and the third is a mule. Proof coins were not issued for circulation and feature a plain edge. The obverse side of these rare coins in India features a left-facing portrait of the Queen along with the texts VICTORIA QUEEN 1854, all inside a raised, toothed rim. The reverse side depicts a left-facing standing lion with a palm tree above. Other texts on the reverse side include EAST INDIA COMPANY, value TWO MOHURS in English and in Persian, all inside a raised, toothed rim. Half Rupee Silver Coin of British India These extremely rare antique coins of India were issued in the year 1862 under the rule of Queen Victoria. This Half Rupee coin was die-struck at Bombay Mint in 5.83 grams of silver and has a diameter of 24.3 to 24.6 millimetres. The obverse side of these rare coins of British India features a crowned and robed left-facing bust of the queen along with the text VICTORIA QUEEN. The reverse side depicts the texts HALF RUPEE/ INDIA and Year with Flower and scroll around. There are many other exciting varieties to look for when it comes to colonial coins of India! Happy collecting! Medieval India coinage has a lot to offer in terms of rarity and exquisiteness. The Indian subcontinent was ruled by several Muslim rulers, which has definitely influenced our traditions and culture in a big way. Today, we take a look at two rare medieval coins of India that were issued by Muslim rulers, featuring calligraphic Persian inscriptions. Extremely Rare Gold Tanka issued by the Sultans of Madura These amazing medieval coins were issued by Sultans of Madura during the rule of Ghiyat Al Din Muhammad Damghan Shah. They bore the denomination Tanka and were struck in 11.8 to 11.9 grams of gold. These extremely rare round-shaped coins of medieval India were issued in the year 741, according to the Anno Hijri (AH) calendar system. They were produced using the Die Struck minting technique at Daulatabad mint. The obverse side of these medieval period coins in India featured the Persian inscription “Al Sultan Al Azam Ghiyat Al Dunya Wa'l Din Abu'l Muzaffar Muhammad Damghan Shah Al Sultan”, while the reverse side depicts the Persian text “Sikandar Al Sani Yamin Al Khilafa Nasir Amir Al Mominin”. The Date and Mint Name is written in margins of these medieval coins of India Ancient coins of India issued by different Janapadas featured a wide variety of unique symbols. Let’s explore the designs of some of them which depict animals. Avanti Janapada Coin Featuring Elephant and Deer These rare historical coins were issued by Avanti Janapada somewhere between 500 and 400 BC. They were struck in 3.2 to 3.4 grams of silver and bore the denomination Karshapana. This old coin of India is found in irregular shapes and is produced using the punch-marked technique with four symbols. The obverse side depicts an elephant and a deer facing towards their right along with two unidentifiable symbols. The reverse side of these coins of ancient India were left blank. A few decades ago, building a collection of world coins wasn’t very easy for a collector. Back then numismatists had to join physical groups and communities or attend exhibitions and related events to find whatever they were interested in. Times have changed drastically with the advent of internet technologies and you can easily buy world coins online these days. However, there are certain precautions that should be taken into consideration when you buy these lovely pieces of history online. Let’s take a look at a few of them today.
Understanding world history can be daunting task as there is so much information facts out there to explore. When you get tired of reading history books, you can use an exciting alternative method to learn about our past by studying coins from around the world. The study of coinage is termed as numismatics and there are a lot of researchers who follow this unique path. Right from the ancient times, powerful kingdoms and territories from Greece, Rome and India issued different types of world coins. These valuable pieces of history bear the most authentic information that defines the culture of a particular region or country. Let’s take a look at a few examples of rare world coins today and try deciphering unknown facts by studying their inscriptions.
Let’s take a close look at three antique Indian coins issued during the colonial period along with some interesting facts about them. Gold Pagoda of Dutch East India Company Not many would be aware about the fact that Dutch East India Company issued antique Indian coins featuring an image of a Hindu God. Yes that’s very true. These colonial coins were struck somewhere between 1784 and 1794. They were die-struck in Gold and bore the denomination Pagoda. The obverse side of these rare coins in India featured a degenerated Vishnu, out lazy "J" at three O'clock. The reverse side was granulated.
When you look for information about different events that occurred in Indian history, hundreds of websites and information portals would come up in search results. It is sometimes very difficult to verify the source of this information. However, that is not the case when it comes to an Indian coin. The inscriptions and symbols featured on coins of India will remain unchanged for eternity. Some of them even depict the year of issue and name of ruler. The facts presented on a coin in India are always reliable, which is why numismatics is definitely a more reliable approach to understand history.
|
AuthorPassionate collector of coins, banknotes & stamps who loves researching about ancient, medieval & modern Indian history! Archives
June 2019
Categories
All
|