Numismatics Gallery
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Before the advent of coinage man used to exchange goods and obtain objects of his requirement. Literature of Vedic period provides evidence of cows being given for obtaining valuable things. Earlier, both moveable and immoveable properties used to be bartered before man learned to produce and use coins as standard tokens of exchange. Later metal was used as coins.
The earliest coins of India obtained from several excavations are the Karshapanas. These came into vogue as early as 8' century B.C. The Punch Marked Coins came next in antiquity and was in vogue almost contemporary to the Karshapanas. The Punch Marked Coins had fixed standards of weight.
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Although there is some ambiguity regarding the earliest mint, who issued the coins, whether it was by the king or the local administrative authorities or by the merchant guilds, yet one thing is clear that the development of coinage was coeval with the rise of commercial activities. The earliest coins had ordinary symbols. With the passage of time, however, royal symbols, portraits and religious symbols came to be depicted on the symbols. Whereas, earlier coins had limited geographical spread later on with these becoming popular the necessity for giving the symbol of the mint or the name of the ruler became a regular custom. Coins of gold, silver, copper, lead, bronze and other alloys have been known. Muhammed Tughlaq is reputed to have issued coins of leather. Coins of Muslim Rulers provide information on date of ascension, year of rule, domain and religious beliefs.
The continuous span of coins from 6' century B.C. to the 20th century is displayed in this gallery. One can have panoramic view of the history of coinage in India starting from its origin to the sophistications achieved by the metallurgists over the centuries. An interesting feature of the gallery is the coin collection from the Burhanpur mint, one of the most significant mints in operation under the Mughals.
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