Copper and Gold Coins and Historical Evidences

COPPER AND GOLD COINS AND HISTORICAL EVIDENCES

Coin is 'unit of exchange' for exchanging goods and services. Money is a medium of exchange and currency is a form of money.

'Coin' (or) 'Kasu' is mentioned in Sangam literature as 'manikasu', 'ponsei kasu', 'polan kasu'. Generally, they were used to denote ornaments. The words 'pon' and 'kanam' meaning money are found in Sangam period verses.

Proofs

i) Kurunthogai 67:4

ii) Nartinai 724:4

Coins were used in ornaments and for trade during the Sangam period. It is mentioned in Sangam literature that these 'Kasus' were like neem fruit and gooseberry, small and spherical in shapes.

Coins of Moovender stamps issued during the Sangam period and coins of Pandyan Kings like Peruvaluthi Coins and Chezhiyan coins are the major contributors. The history and economy Tamil Nadu can be learned through the coins issued by Moovender regional kings and the Indian economic imbalances can be seen through the coins of other country kings found in Tamil Nadu.

1. Metals used for Coins

The kings coined gold, silver, bronze, iron and copper to suit their economic status. The coins used by various kings of Tamil Nadu were made of gold, silver and copper.

2. Forms of Coins

Coins found in the Sangam period are in square, oblong and round.

Square Copper Coins

In the 18th Century, some square shaped coins dating back to the 4th and 5th Century BC were found in Tamil Nadu. It has the image of an elephant on the front and the image of a bow and arrow on the back. These coins might have been used by the citizens who considered bow as their family symbol.

3. Parts of a Coin

Similar to that of today's coin, the coins of Sangam era have two parts namely head and flower. One side of these is engraved with a symbol and the other side with another symbol. Especially, the coins of the Pandyan Kings have a fish symbol on one side and an elephant or ox symbol on the other side. These belong to the period 5th Century BC to 2nd Century AD.

Evidences

1. BC coins inscribed with symbols dating back to the first Century have been found in the tombs at Pallalur in Coimbatore district. An elephant symbol is engraved on o its head.

2. Rajasimhan II's title Srinidhi is found on one side of the Pallavar coins and the bull symbol on the other side found at Kanchipuram.

3. Some coins have a fish symbol on one side and one of Chakra, crescent moon, Chaithya tower and umbrella on the other side.

4. Images on Coins

Images of the king and deities are also engraved on the coins. Religious symbols are also found in them. These help to know the arts and religions of that time. All the kings who ruled in Tamil Nadu have given importance to the mother tongue and have issued coins with tiger, fish, horse, bull, lion, animal, bird and religious motifs; as well as wood and elephant engraved in square coins.

Evidences

1. More than 10,000 coins have been recovered from the guarders of soil erosion along the banks of Vaigai, Thenpennai, Tamirabarani, Bhavani and Cauvery rivers. Different figures have been engraved on both sides of these coins.

2. Coins of the Roman emperor Augustus Typees (40 BC) have been found in Andhra.

5. Coins Expressing Religious Unity and Tolerance

* Coins issued during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar had images of Rama and Sita engraved on them.

* During the reign of Nawab of Arcot, many Saiva "and Vaishnava deities like Shiva, Vishnu, Ganapathi, Murugan and Hanuman were issued.

* During the reign of Hydhar Ali and Tippu Sultan coins with Shiva-Parvathi images were issued.

From this, there is proof of religious unity and tolerance during their reign.

Proof: When the poets and minstrels sang in praise of the king, the king gave them gold coins.

6. Brahmi Characters on Coins

Coins of gold, silver and copper used during the Sangam period are found with Brahmi characters such as Thinnan, Ethiran and Senthan. We can know about Senthan in the Agananooru song.

7. Miscellaneous Coins

1. Stamp Coin

Stamp coins were in use from the 5th Century BC to the 2nd Century BC. Pandyas were the first to issue stamp coins.

Evidence

It is noteworthy that casting nests used for issuing stamps have been found in Tamil Nadu.

2. Pandiya Coins

Pandiyas issued copper coins followed by stamp coins. This copper coin is square shaped. In the front part, there is a horse standing to left, under whose are tortoises in two tanks. There is a fish in the background. The name Peruvazhuthi is inscribed in the form of a Tamil-Brahmi line. It dates back to the 3rd Century BC and tortoise found in it reveals the 'Pandiyas' attachment to velvi.

3. Peruvazhuthi Coins

The Peruvazhuthi coin is a copper coin issued by the Pandiyan Kings of the Sangam period of which the Pandiyas' title Peruvazhuthi is inscribed in these coins and shows that they are 2300 years old.

4. Chola Coins of the Sangam Period

In Tamilnadu coins found are ancient Rajarajan period coins.

The Chola coins of the Sangam period have a standing bull on the obverse and a tiger drawn with lines on the reverse. These are made of oblong square shaped copper cast. This coin has been made mixing the casting method and stamping method; It was around the 3rd Century BC that Tamils had known how to make and use coins by casting.

Evidence

A Sangam Chola coin has been found in the Amaravathi river basin. Archaeologists like Arumuga Sitharaman consider its period to be the later part of the 3rd Century BC.

5. Chera Coins of Sanga Period

The Chera coins of the Sangam era are found to be inscribed with bow and some coins have king's head and his name engraved on them.

Evidence

Coins of the Chera kings of the Sangam period like Cheraman Kottam Palathu Thunjiya Makothai and Kuttuvan Kothai.

6. Malaiyaman Kasugal

Thirukovilur Malayaman, a regional king lived between AD 100 - 300. In the coins issued by them, Thirukovilur, the region they ruled, a river, three mountains and a road are seen.

7. Punch Coins

Punch-marked coins made of silver and copper became the standard form of coinage. These punched coins are either square or round or rectangular shape.

The symbols on these were struck using punches and prints.

A punch-marked coin weighs about 52 grains (1 grain = 64.79 mg.)

8. Coins of Mauriyas

Historical evidences from the Sangam period suggest that the Mauriyas used silver and copper metals and used punch or punch-marked coins.

9. Coins of the Indo-Greeks

These coins were issued between 2nd and 1st Century BC. Mostly, they are made of silver. Usually, some are rectangular and circular in shapes. They also have the name of the ruler who depicts the puranas. The language in it is Prakrit and the script in Karoshti.

10. Kushana Type Coins

The Kushanas were the first dynasty to issue a large number of gold coins in the 1st and 4th Centuries. Low value was found in copper coins. The coins had the image and name on the obverse and deities on the reverse. The language used is Greek.

11. The coins of the Guptas

The Guptas issued well-minted gold coins. At the top, the kings are found in various guises. Some coins show playing.