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.
