Ancient coins of Rajasthan :

Coins have played an important role in deciphering the past. They are source material and provide information about contemporary cultural, political and socio-economic life. Rajasthan’s Department of Archaeology and Museum is an affluent anthology of coins, ranging from Sixth century BC to the mid Twentieth Century. Initial styles of coins are of noticeable multiplicity.

Chronologically, the Kushana Rulers introduced the coins in their names. Their anthology has Kadphises-II & Kanishka’s copper coins. Next comes following were the coins by the Gupta Emperors, Samudra Gupta, Kach Gupta, Skandgupta, Kumargupta andChandragupta-II. The coins were in gold and silver. The Gupta coins show representation of the leader. These are exceedingly creative and completed in minuscule details.

Punch-marked coins are said to have been the earliest in the history of coins, dating from about the 6th Century. B.C. to the 2nd Cent. B.C. They have been unearthed in Rairh, Nagar (Tonk), Gurara (Sikar), Viratnagar, Sambhar and Ismailpur (Jaipur).  Such coins were minted in silver and copper, being punched. Four to five symbols on the obverse and one to fourteen on the reverse can be usually seen on them.

Minting of stylised coins started after Alexander the Great's invasion of India. The Indo-Greek coins issued by the Greek rulers between the 2nd Century. B.C. to 2nd Cent. A.D. are bilingual in Greek and Aramic and carry legends in Greek and in either the Kharoshti or Brahmi script.

A number of republics were established after the decline of the Mauryan dynasty. Several of their coins, from the 1st Century to 3rd Century. A.D. and belonging to the Malav, Shivi and Yaudheya republics have been acquired from Rairh and Nagar (Tonk), Nagri (Chittor), Sambhar (Jaipur), Noh (Bharatpur) and Sawai Madhopur. The Malav coins bear a legend "Malvanam Jai" in the Brahmi script on the obverse and symbols like tree, buffalo, lion, bull etc. on the reverse.

The coins of the Western Kshatraps were discovered in Pushkar (Ajmer) and Sarvania (Banswara). These coins, circular in shape, depict the bust of a king on the obverse and a legend in the Brahmi script on the reverse. Coins of the Mathura Kshatraps were found during excavations at Noh (Bharatpur).

Some coins bearing a legend ending with the title "Mitra" and with the name of the king also inscribed were recovered from Rairh (Tonk). Scholars believe that they were issued by the Shunga rulers (1st Cent. A.D.). They depict the name of the king on the obverse and Yupa-dwaj or flag on a standard, and a bull on the reverse.

King Veem Kadphises of the Kushana dynasty introduced gold coins for the first time in Indian coinage. Gold and copper coins, discovered in Khetri (Jhunjhunu), Jamwaramgarh (Jaipur) and Bikaner, depict the King oblating in fire with the right hand and holding a sword with the left hand on the obverse and Lord Shiva with a bull or goddess "Ordoksho" on the reverse.

The Gupta period is known as a golden period in Indian history. An important treasure of this period was acquired from the village Hullanpur (Bharatpur) and contains the coins of the great kings of the Gupta dynasty, Samudragupta, Chandragupta-II and rare coin of Kachgupta. The obverse of the coins carry the bust of the king with the legend in Brahmi script and a Goddess is depicted on the reverse.

In eastern Rajasthan, Pratihar rulers issued Adivarah coins along with Indo-Sassanian coins from the 9th Century to the 12th Century. A.D. On the obverse of the coins, Varah, the incarnation of Vishnu, and a legend "Shree Madadi Varaha" in Nagri script are indicated. Later on, due to the crudeness of the king's likeness, they came to be known also as Gadhaiya coins. A big hoard of such coins was found in Kasindra village (Sirohi).

Small-sized silver coins belonging to the Arab governors of Sindh have been unearthed in Mandore (Jodhpur) and Chohttan (Barmer). On the obverse of these coins the Kalima is recorded in the Arabic script with the names of Arab governors, viz. Ameer Abdullah, Wali Abdullah, Banu Umarvich, Banu Aliviyal, Banu Abdurrahman etc. carried on the reverse.

During the 11-12th Cent. A.D. the Chauhan rulers of Sambhar and Ajmer introduced silver and copper coins bearing the likeness of Goddess Lakshmi/bull-horseman.

Bull and horseman type Sultanate coins were found in village Gaanvli (Jaipur). On the obverse of these coins is the depiction of a bull and a legend "Shree Mohmmad-bin-sam" in Nagri script and a horseman with the legend "Shri Hameer" on the reverse.

Coins of Iltutmish and Balban made of silver-copper alloy were discovered in Kunder (Sawai Madhopur), Harsh (Sikar),  Phagi and Dayarampura (Jaipur). Coins of Balban bear the legend "Al Sultan Ghayasudin Waldin" on the obverse and on the reverse 'Balban' and "Sultan Ghayasudin" are mentioned in the Arabic script

A number of Mughal period coins belonging to Akbar, Jehangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb's reigns have been excavated in various parts of Rajasthan. The name of the ruler and mint with the Kalima in the Persian script are usually recorded on these coins. 

Sher Shah gave the name "Rupia" to silver coins in place of the Tanka. They bear the Kalima "La ilaha illa llahu- Muhammadurrasullulah" in the Persian script on the obverse and "Sri Sher Shahi" on the reverse.

After the death of Aurangzeb, the states of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Bundi, Bikaner issued their own coins with the permission of the Mughal Court. The Jaipur State coins are known as "Jharshahi"

                                  Coins are existing articles in metal. The coins have played significant part in the learning, structuring and rebuilding of the past. Their extraordinary involvement is unanimously renowned. Coins were smacked by rulers in implementation of their regal sanction. Many monarchs, who were unidentified in the times gone by, have been perceived and premeditated by their coins.