money through the ages : punch mark coins

Jayaprakash Rao and Raghava Achar

Kautilya the minister of Chandragupta Maurya referred in his Arthashastra, compiled in the 4th century BC, a list of objects that were used for the manufacture of coins. The process of making coins can be summarized as 

• Metal was first melted in crucibles (Musha) and purified with Alkaliea (Kshara).
• It was beaten into sheets on an anvil (Adhikarni) with a hammer (Mushtika).
• Sheets were later cut into pieces with clippers (Sandansa) to a particular weight.
• Finally the pieces were stamped with dies or punches having symbols (Bimba-Tanka).

Even after 200 years and all the development in the field of technology almost the same steps are followed even today in the manufacture of coins in mints all over the world. Occasionally metal in the desired weight of coins was melted and poured into some flat board to take its shape. The surface was then impressed on one side by means of punch devices. 

Ancient coins initially bore only one symbol. Later the  number of symbols increased to five. Since the technique of punching coins is unique, the coins thus made are known to numismatists and historians as Punch Mark Coins. 

The punch devices of these coins do not have any inscription. Instead they have a number of symbols. These run into several hundreds in various forms viz. geometrical and floral patterns, trees, hills, birds, animals reptiles, human figures etc. The group of symbols on these coins were confined to specific or limited geographical spread. Therefore, these feature help to distinguish the coins of one area from another. 

From the 3rd century BC to 2nd century AD these punch mark coins were in circulation all over India. Symbols were originally stamped only on one side of the coin and the other side remained blank. When the coins wore out due to use they other side was used to revalidate the coin with fresh symbols. 

The reverse side of the coin were impressed with minute symbols. These marks were not impressed in the mint. they appear to have been impressed at intervals while they were in circulation. Such marks, occasionally few, seldom exceed ten. It is believed that the coins with more marks were in circulation for a longer time.  These marks are believed to have been impressed by the Shroffs, bankers or Money testers (Rupa Tarka or Rupa Darsaka). The marks were affixed to testify or authenticate the coins in respect of weight, purity and genuineness. 

The problem with punch mark coins is that various stamps or punches were struck at different times by different hands through which they passed. This prevents their real nature to be recognized. 

The common punch marks found on punch mark coins are as below 
 

Elephant

Hills

Tree

Sun

Study of these punch mark coins and the different symbols/punches on them is an interesting subject for numismatists around the world. 
 

www.angelfire.com/on2/coins/ancient.html 
www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/2261/NUM1E.html  
www.grifterrec.com/coins/coins.html