This book is a detailed collation of the recorded finds of Roman coins on Indian soil. These are divided into Republican, Julio-Claudian and post-Julio-Claudian coins and there are chapters on the historical significance of the scarcity of Roman finds, the absence of base metal issues in the early empire, the predominance of early imperial denarii, and the difference in composition between the Julio-Claudian gold and silver hoards. There is considerable discussion on slashed gold coins and defaced silver coins and on imitation Roman coins found in India. There are three exhaustive appendices: 1) a catalogue of finds of Roman coins found in India; 2) the present location of Roman coins found in India and 3) Roman Coins in the Madras Central Government Museum. Copublished with the Royal Numismatic Society.
Preliminary Material /Steven E. Sidebotham -- Introduction /Steven E. Sidebotham -- Erythraean Sea Trade: Wares, Type, Cost and Volume /Steven E. Sidebotham -- Facilitating the Commerce: Roads, Ports and Canals for the Expanding Roman Trade /Steven E. Sidebotham -- Regulations, Traders and Taxes /Steven E. Sidebotham -- The Genesis and Evolution of Roman Policy in the Erythraean sea /Steven E. Sidebotham -- Conclusion /Steven E. Sidebotham -- The Terms 'Erythra Thalassa ' and 'Rubrum Mare ' /Steven E. Sidebotham -- The Date of the Periplus Maris Erythraei /Steven E. Sidebotham -- Bibliography /Steven E. Sidebotham -- Index /Steven E. Sidebotham.
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1891 edition. Excerpt: ...63 to 66-4 grains, give an average of 64-9 grains. But these are, perhaps, half-suvarnas, of 72 grains, full weight. The oldest of them are broad, thin, punchmarked coins, of more than 66 grains. They bear the names of Chalukya, and are assigned by W. Elliot to the fifth and sixth centuries A.d. I acquiesce in this date, as the inscribed silver coins that were found in their company are of about the same period. The actual age of the heavier Huns, or gold Karshas, is not known; but I am able to fix the date of one of the most remarkable specimens as certainly not later than the eleventh century. In the history of Kashmir it is stated that Raja Harsha Deva "liked the customs of the south, and introduced coins like those current in Karnata."34 Now I possess a gold coin of this king, with the name 34 Raja TaraDgini, B. vii. Translation by Jogesh Chunder Butt, p. 238). of "Sri Harsha Deva" on one side, and on the other a caparisoned elephant walking to the right, which is an evident copy of one of the Karnati gold coins of the same type. See W. Elliot's Coins of South India, Plate III., 109; and Marsden Numismata Orientalia, Plate XLVIIL, 1059. But the Kashmir coin is a half suvarna, of 72 grains, while the southern coin is a Hun, of 58 grains. Harsha Deva reigned from A.d. 1089 to 1101. The gold coins of ancient India were as follows: --NAMES. Grains..fa Hun, or Fanam. J Hun, or Mada i Hun, or Pratapa. 1 Hun Varaha, or Pagoda 1 Karsha (full weight) i Suvarna 1 Suvarna 1 Nishka, Pala, or Satamana 5-28 13-20 26-40 52-80 57-60 72-00 144-00 576-00 In former days it was the general opinion of classical scholars that the art of coinage had been introduced into India by the Bactrian Greeks.36 Some twenty years ago I pointed out a...
Like other volumes in this series, Ancient History from Coins demystifies a specialism, introducing students (from first year upwards) to the techniques, methods, problems and advantages of using coins to do ancient history. Coins are a fertile source of information for the ancient historian; yet too often historians are uneasy about using them as evidence because of the special problems attaching to their interpretation. The world of numismatics is not always easy for the non-specialist to penetrate or understand with confidence. Dr Howgego describes and anlyses the main contributions the study of coins can make to ancient history, showing shows through numerous examples how the character, patterns and behaviour of coinage bear on major historical themes. Topics range from state finance and economic policy to imperial domination and political propaganda through coins types. The period covered by the book is from the invention of coinage (ca 600BC) to AD 400.
