Acient India coins, anyone here collect?

I got a couple like the last one you posted. The reverse side I have no idea yet what the immage is.

 

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I'm not too good at reading these legends either, it took me a good bit to ID my piece. I did find a great article about these coins that helps tremendously to attribute them to the rulers; How to read the legends on coins of the Western Kshatrapas: A Beginner’s Guide by Pankaj Tandon. I linked to the freely available PDF there.

 

Nice coins and welcome to CT Ancients!

I don't specialize in ancient India, but I sometimes dabble in this field.

Concerning the punchmarked coins you've shown, all necessary information to correctly identify them has been given above. Punchmarked karshapanas are readily available and usually not expensive.


Mauryan Empire, time of Asóka, AR karshapana, ca. 272–232 BC, unknown mint. Obv: five punchmarks: sun, six-armed symbol, plant, three ovals, stag with branch. Rev: two punchmarks: peacock and counterstamp. 12–19mm, 3.34g. Ref: Hardaker/Gupta 510.


Mauryan Empire, time of Kunala (?), AR karshapana, ca. 232–224 BC, unknown mint. Obv: five punchmarks: sun, six-armed symbol, hill, hill with animal on top, geometric punch. Rev: two punchmarks: hill with animal on top and counterstamp. 13–18mm, 3.32g. Ref: Mitchiner 4182–4184; Hardaker/Gupta 568–570.

The third coin you've shown is a relatively early jital. Our esteemed member @EWC3 has written the standard catalogue on these and was so generous to upload the section necessary for basic attribution here, and our equally esteemed member @dougsmit has a webpage with a lot of useful information on the bull and horseman jitals. Coins based on this design were struck for several hundred years by different authorities. This makes them an attractive collecting field for anyone interested in Indian and Central Asian medieval coinage. Here are some examples from my collection:


Hindu Shahi, under "Samanta Deva" (title), AR jital, ca. 850–1000 AD, Kabul Valley and Northwestern India. Obv: stylized horseman r., "bhi" and symbol in fields. Rev; "Sri Samanata Deva" in Nagari; stylized bull l. 17.7mm, 3.11g. Ref: Tye 14 (?).


Hindu Shahi, under "Samanta Deva" (title), AE jital, ca. 850–1000 AD, Ohind mint (?). Obv: Elephant advancing l.; Nagari legend “Sri Samanta Deva” above. Rev: Lion standing r. with jaws open and paw raised. 16mm, 1.64g. Ref: Tye 19.


Tomara Dynasty, Mahipala, AE Jital, later 12th century AD (?). Obv: stylized bull l.; Nagari legend “Sri Mahipala” above. Rev: stylized horseman r. 14mm, 3.15g. Ref: Tye 39; Deyell: Living without Silver (1990), no. 232; Roy: Coinage of Northern India (1980), S. 93–95.


Chauhan of Delhi, Prithviraja III., BI Jital, c. 1191–1192 AD. Obv: stylized bull l.; Nagari legend “Sri Samanta Deva” around. Rev: stylized horseman r.; Nagari legend “Sri Prithvi Raja Deva” around. 15mm, 3.39g. Ref: Tye 52.


Ghurid Sultanate, under Taj al-Din Yildiz, AR jital, 1206–1215, Lahore mint. Obv: "Sri Hamirah" in Nagari script, stylized horseman right. Rev: Arabic regent's name in four lines: al-sultan/ al mu'azzam/ abu'l fath yildiz/ al-sultan. 14 mm, 3.47g. Ref: Tye 201.1; Album 1797.


Khwarezmian Empire, under Ala ad-Din Muhammad II, AE large jital, 1200–1220 AD, Qunduz mint. Obv: bull l.; legend around: "abu'l fath / muhammed bin / al-sultan"; circular marginal legend (mint and date) is completely off-flan Rev: horseman holding spear l.; legend around and in margins: "as-sultan al-azam ala al-dunya wa ud-din," mostly off-flan. 23mm, 4.84g. Ref: Tye 243; Album 1740.


Delhi Sultanate, under Shams ud-Din Iltutmish, BI Jital, 1211–1236 AD, Multan mint. Obv: stylized horseman r. Rev: “Shams al-dunya wa al-din abu al-muzaffar iltutmish al-sultan”. 13.4mm, 3.04g. Ref: Tye 378; GG D61.

Your three last coins were all struck by the Western Satraps. You'll be able to identify the rulers using the link @TuckHard posted above.


Bhartrdāman, Western Satraps, AR drachm, issued 288-295 AD. Obv: Head of king right, Saka era date behind : 21[...]. Rev: Brahmi legend "rajno mahakshatrapasa rudrasenaputrasa rajno mahakshatrapasa bhartrdamnah;" chaitya (3-arched hill), river below, crescent moon and sun above. 14mm, 1.96g. Ref: BMC 678. Ex AMCC 2, lot 548 (their picture).

 

Here are a couple of my INDO-GREEKS:


Indo-Greek Baktria Menander I Soter BC 155-130 AR Tet 26mm 9.6g Diad - Athena Alkidemos tbolt Gorgon shield SNG ANS 764-767


This guy was speculated that sent an army / led the army to fight on the side of Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium...

INDO-GREEK KINGDOM Zoilos II Circa 50-40 BCE AR drachm 17mm 2.3g Athena Alkidemos l monograms Antony Actium SNG ANS 1654-1658


I got this coin because the SCYTHIANS were BAD-AS dudes from the Steppes...

India Indo-Scythian King Azes I 57-30BCE AR Drachm

 

Interesting this was brought up. I’ve been contemplating trying to get a bunch of these Mauryan punchmark coins for a project in my classroom. But I’ll have a year to think on it, since COVID restrictions prevents me from doing anything fun and interactive (unless it’s digital...).

here are my two examples:
Mauryan Empire
King Ashoka & Successors, 270-175/50 B.C.
AR Karshapana, 16.2 x 12.61mm x 4 grams
Obv.: five punchmarks, mark one: 468 (sun symbol); two: 392 (Six-Armed Symbol); three: 374 (arches); four: 15 (three circles and line); five: 142 (human)
Rev.: One punchmark: 15 (three circles and line)
Ref.: Gupta & Hardaker 566, Series VIb, type VI IV C 142

Mauryan Empire
Anonymous, 321-187 B.C.
AR Karshapana, 17.08x11.94 mm x 2.7 grams
Obv.: 4 (5?) punchmarks
Rev.: Undetermined punchmark
Ref.: (G&H 227 Type I XXXII A 2 ? Too small)

 

Nice coins! Indian coins are fun, and IMO very much under-priced and underappreciated!

One of my two focus areas in my collection is Indian imitations of coins of Sassanian emperor Peroz I, known as Indo-Sassanian or sometimes Gadhaiya Paisa. I own well over 1,000 of these inexpensive coins - once they take hold of you, there is no getting away!

 

Gujarat Chalukyas Gadhaiya PAISA


India Gujarat Chalukyas Gadhaiya Paisa BI Drachm 4.6g 14mm 9th C CE Sun Moon Fire Alter Crescent



India Gujarat Chalukyas Gadhaiya Paisa BI Drachm 11th C CE Sun Moon Fire Alter Crescent

 

Some great coins shown!....
Here's some of mine...
Serious frowning forehead Gahaiya Paisa

Little 9mm silver Rana Hastin elephant

Lead Chutas of Banavasi...Rajno Mulanandasa

Nagas of Padmavati

 

I hope you do! These are so neglected............

This - your worn second coin is probably GH 486 - but too worn to be certain.

The first coin - although weakly punched - looks like it is near uncirculated. The only way to tell is from the edge - (if it still has the score and snap marks of flan production)

Rob

 

Thanks for the tips Rob - I’ll double check on these when I get home from work today!