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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.
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