Ancient Indian coins have an extremely long and mysterious history. In fact, money and coins are mentioned in the ancient Indian Vedic texts. But there is no strong evidence to back up these claims and make sure they really existed at the time. Still, ancient Indian coins are considered to be the oldest in the world. Experts and historians have been discussing this topic for a long time. Some say that the Greek drachmas from Aegina are the earliest coins, while some researchers say that the earliest were found in Ephesus, Lydia 650 BC. India’s ancient coins date back to the 6th century BC. where you can find a lot of information about it on a fantastic website called Mintage World. This is an online museum that systematically lists information on all types of ancient Indian coins.
No matter where the first coins in the world were minted, the point is that Indian coins have always been extremely interesting to explore. This is the reason why collectors and numismatists all over the world have shown such an interest in learning more about ancient Indian coins. Old Indian coins can be classified into three categories, namely ancient, medieval and colonial. All these three categories of ancient Indian coins have been well explained about the world of printing. I will find out about this site when I researched Mughal coins. The site is easy to navigate and you will find everything you need to know about all kinds of ancient Indian coins.
Ancient Indian coins were minted when the Indian subcontinent was divided into several janapada. Each of these Janapads had their own kings and emperors. Even today, coins issued by the kings of Mauritius are sought after by collectors around the world. I had recently visited a coin exhibition that contained very interesting collections of ancient Indian coins. I was lucky enough to buy a shiny Chandragupta maurya coin. As soon as I published pictures of my latest addition to my collection, I started getting several inquiries about them. If it had been someone else, he or she would have made the money really fast. But I chose not to give in to the temptation to make a lot of money. I am an avid coin collector and believe that the hobby should not be falsified by introducing this angle of money. Because then it will only be an investment opportunity, not something that helps us stay in touch with our rich culture or our roots.
When we talk about ancient coins in India that fall during the Middle Ages, there are coins issued by famous emperors like Akbar, Jahangir, etc. Inscriptions on Mughal coins are also extremely artistic to look at and study. There are some collectors who are only interested in the collection, just because of their amazing designs. Who can forget Marathas and his great warrior king, Shivaji. There are many other avid collectors who are always looking for old coins from India issued under the great emperor.
Then there are East India Company issues that arose when the British began to establish colonies on this subcontinent. After the uprising of 1857, India came directly under British rule and the struggle for independence began. It’s amazing how so much can be revealed about these wonderful historical events and stories. Based on a collector’s interests and tastes, he begins to collect belonging to a certain type or period. When talking about ancient Indian coins, one can not forget the Princely State issues that have been characterized by various famous Prince States. Mintage World also has detailed information about these coins for researchers and students.