An Overview
India has been one of the earliest
issuers of coins in the world (circa 6th
Century BC). Few countries rival India for the sheer diversity
of its coinage be it minting techniques, motifs, sizes, shapes,
the metals used or for that matter the monetary history arising
from the Monetary Standards India has experienced (Tri-metallism,
Bi-metallism, the Silver Standard, the Gold Exchange Standard
as well as fiat money).
In history, Indian coins have
played a crucial role in documenting political and economic
changes over time. Foreign coin hoards found in India throw
light on Indian trade patterns in ancient, medieval, and late
pre-colonial times. The Motifs on coins have been impacted
upon by the cultural ethos of different regions at different
time periods.
Our coinage pages attempt to
give a sampler of Indian Coins down the ages and are by no
means exhaustive. We propose to supplement the pages in the
days to come. We welcome contributions of the public/viewers.
To identify these coins
we invite you to browse through our pages. |
