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| | Coins of Ancient and Medieval
India
Sunga
Empire - c.187 BC-78 BC |
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Sunga Empire, AE 1/2 Karshapana, c.187 BC-78 BC
(No legend)
Elephant standing left facing tree, swastika above
(No legend)
Mountain, anchor, altar and voided cross
12mm x 14mm, 1.80g (across the flats)
Mitchener ACW 4378
Ex Midwest "Coins of Christianity" Collection
Consignor notes: The Sunga Empire was established after the fall of the Maurya
Empire, and existed over parts of modern day India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
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Sunga Empire, AE Karshapana, c.187 BC-78 BC, Taxila Mint
(No legend)
Tamgha, mountain, swastika and uncertain symbol
(No legend)
Mountain, crest, voided cross and monogram
23mm x 24mm, 13.04g
Mitchener ACW 4416-4417
Ex Midwest "Coins of Christianity" Collection
Consignor notes: Ancient India was diverse in its religions and it appears this
coin displays symbols of the various groups in the area at that time -
Hindus, Brahmans, Buddhists, Jainisms and Judeans.
Just after the Judean removal to Babylon, around 730 BC, the Manasseh
Tribe migrated to India. This tribe made headlines in November 2009 by
returning to Israel for the first time in 2800 years.
The "outlined" Cross eventually became known as the
"Voided Cross" used by Portugal and India throughout history. It
was probably developed to distinguish itself from the swastika, which the
Buddhists used to represent life, strength and good luck. In this use, the
cross represented the coming Messiah.
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Sunga Empire, AE 1/8 Karshapana, c.187 BC-78 BC, Taxila Mint
(No legend)
Voided cross
(No legend)
Bodhi tree
11mm x 12mm, 1.36g
Mitchener ?
Ex Midwest "Coins of Christianity" Collection
Consignor notes: This specimen is a fractional denomination of the karshapana,
which displays numerous religious symbols. Examples of this denomination
can be found with each of the symbols singularly.
In the ancient Hebrew alphabet, the letter "tav" (X or +) meant
covenant or symbol. The outline was used to distinguish this cross from
the swastika used by the Buddhists to symbolize life.
The Bodhi tree has been part of Buddhist worship for millennia. Its' most
likely meaning being "liberation" or "awakening".
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Northern India-Pushkalavati, AE Unit, Uncertain Period
(No legend)
Elephant advancing right
(No legend)
Lunar hill
13mm x 14mm, 2.46g
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Western India-Indo Sakas Satraps |
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Western India-Indo Sakas Satraps, AR Drachm, 2nd Century AD
Indo-Greek legend
Bust right wearing short hat
Brahmi legend
Triple-arched hill, river below, two crescents and sun above
14mm x 15mm, 2.24g
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Western India-Indo Sakas Satraps, AR Drachm, 2nd Century AD
Indo-Greek legend
Bust right wearing short hat
Brahmi legend
Triple-arched hill, river below, two crescents and sun above
14mm, 2.19g
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Gujarat Kingdom |
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Gujarat Kindom, Sri Parakuta Chach in Sindh and Multan, Alor Dynasty, AR
Drachm, c.632-711, Uncertain mint
(No legend)
Series of dots, Sindha letter "haNDa" and starurogram above
(No legend)
Trisecting lines
15mm x 16mm, 1.22g
Mitchener (?)
Ex Midwest "Coins of Christianity" Collection
Consignor notes: Sindh is a region in modern-day India and Pakistan known as the Indus Valley. It is an ancient Brahman, Buddist and Zoroastrian Kingdom that also had a significant
Jewish and Samaritan population. It was converted to Christianity starting with the Apostle Thomas in 50 AD. This coin is from the last minted before the area was conquered by the
Islamic Umayyad Caliphate and forced into conversion to Islam in 711.
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Mysore Kingdom |
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India-Kingdom of Mysore, AV Half Pagoda, 15th Century AD, Vijayanagar
(No legend)
Facing figures of god and goddess
Hindu legend
10mm x 11mm, 3.41g
Friedberg 753
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