History, Class 12 Coins and Kings

1. ANUJA GUPTA
KV OFD, RAIPUR,
DEHRADUN

2.  Exchanges were facilitated by the introduction
of coinage. Punch-marked coins made of silver
and copper (c. sixth century BCE onwards) were
amongst the earliest to be minted and used by
many dynasties including the Mauryas.
 The first coins to bear the names and images of
rulers were issued by the Indo-Greeks, who
established control over the north-western part
of the subcontinent c. second century BCE

3. Coins of indo Greek rulers who ruled there contained the names of
kings in Greek and Kharosthi scripts
Indo Greek coin

4.  The first gold coins were issued in the first
century CE by the Kushanas. These were virtually
identical in weight with those issued by Roman
emperors and the Parthian rulers of Iran
 Coins were also issued by tribal republics of
Punjab and Haryana called the Yaudheyas.
Archaeologists have unearthed several thousand
copper coins issued by the Yaudheyas.
 Some of the most spectacular gold coins were
issued by the Gupta rulers. The earliest coins
issued by Guptas were remarkable for their
purity. These coins facilitated long-distance
transactions from which kings also benefited.


5.  Historians are divided into two groups on this
issue. Some suggest that with the collapse of
the Western Roman Empire long-distance trade
between India and Rome declined, and this
affected the prosperity of India and trading
communities.

6.  Others argue that new towns and networks of
trade started emerging around this time with
in India
 Some scholars point out that though finds of
coins of were few but coins continue to be
mentioned in inscriptions and texts
 Some historians suggest that people might
have recycled the old coins for other
purposes.

7. A punch marked coin

8.  Punch marked coins, were made
of silver and copper and used.
 Symbol on punch marked coins
were of main ruling dynasties.
 Some coins are released by
merchants, bankers and towns
people.

9. A Gupta Coin
The Gupta coinage started with a remarkable series in gold issued by
Chandragupta I, the third ruler of the dynasty, who issued a single
type- the king and queen - depicting the portraits of Chandragupta
and his queen Kumaradevi with their names on the obverse and the
goddess seated on a lion with the legend Lichchhavyah on the
reverse.

10. Coin of the Yaudheyas with depiction of Kumāra
Karttikeya, 1st century BCE, Punjab.
A Yaudheya Coin