Indian Punch-Marked Coins

The present work is a pioneering attempt to study "Indian Punch-Marked Coins" and contains technical and scientific study of an unpublished hoard of such coins recovered from taxila currently in possession with the Banaras Hindu University. In the light of the present data, it was found that the previous attempts on the classification, denomination and chronology of the punch-marked coins are erroneous. In this work, based on the present data, these aspects have been thoroughly examined in detail and given a scientific coverage. In contrast to previous notions that punch marked coins are copper metal or alloy of silver and copper, the chemical data of the present coins show that punch-marked coins were made also of gold alloys, in aditions to the above. The metallographic examination shows that all these are cast structures, produced by two methods : first direct casting of the standard coinage alloy, and second, cutting the coin pieces from cold worked sheets of the alloys. The classification of these coins in the light of obverse and reverse symbols, composition groups and their physical parameters shows that during pre and past Mauryan period, the coins of different compositions of gold, silver and copper alloys with characteristic state symbols on them were made in which each composition of these alloys represented coin denominations. This study shows that during preceding and following Ashok periods, the Mauryan empire consisted of economically independent states, each having its own characteristic symbols. Coinage metals and fabrication technique classification and chronology, denomination and symbols are the main aspects of the work dealt with in this book, which have been discussed separately. The punch marked coins which have been found all over India, show more than five hundred symbols which depict various social, religious and cultural beliefs of the people of that period. These symbols have been illustrated with line-diagrams. The book is expected to be useful and informative for the researchers and scholars, specially those working in the field of numismatics. The same time, it is quite interesting for general readers of science, history and history of arts. This is probably the only book of its kind dealing with techno-scientific study of Indian Punch-Marked coins.