Punch Mark Coins of Ancient India

1. PUNCH MARKED KARSHAPANA
IMAGE ENLARGED TO SHOW DETAIL
ORDER CODE: INDIPUNCH
OBVERSE: VARIOUS SYMBOLS
REVERSE: VARIOUS SYMBOLS
METAL: SILVER
India developed some of the world's earliest coins sometime around 600BC. The coins were made by taking a
flat, though often irregularly shaped, piece of silver, cutting it to the proper weight, then applying a series of
punches to the front of it, indicating where and when it was made. The punches covered a wide variety of
symbols. As the coin circulated, additional punches were sometimes put on the back, verifying the weight and
fineness of the coin. These coins continued to be issued until about the second century BC.
Ancient coins initially bore only one symbol. Later the number of symbols increased to five. Since the technique
of punching coins is unique, the coins made are known to numismatists and historians as Punch Mark Coins.
The punch devices of these coins do not have any inscription; instead they have a number of symbols. These run
into several various forms such as geometrical and floral patterns, trees, hills, birds, animals, reptiles, human
figures etc. The groups of symbols on these coins were confined to specific or limited geographical areas. This
feature helps to distinguish the coins of one area from another. The reverse side of the coin was impressed with
minute symbols.
Mauryan Punch mark coins 300 - 100 BCE
Issued initially by merchant Guilds and later by States, the coins represented a trade currency belonging to a
period of intensive trade activity and urban development. They are broadly classified into two periods: the first
period (attributed to the Janapadas or small local states) and the second period (attributed to the Imperial Mauryan
period). The motifs found on these coins were mostly drawn from nature featuring depictions like the sun, various
animal motifs, trees, hills etc… and some were geometrical symbols.
The six common punch marks found on the coins are:
Elephants Hills Trees Sun Geometrics Flowers
The punch marked coins have been an interesting study for many numismatists.
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