Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Learn About the Different Categories of Indian Coins Before You Start Collecting



Coins of India come in innumerable varieties and it is almost impossible to study them if we don’t have a clear understanding of their categories. Whenever you add a new Indian coin to your collection, research about its variety first and then dig deep into its history. The more knowledge you acquire about coins In India, the better your collection would be. Let’s take a look at the major categories and sub-categories of Indian coins today.

Ancient Coins of India
The first level of categorisation is based on time period namely, ancient, medieval, colonial and modern. Ancient coins of India can be further classified as coins issued by Janapadas, the ones issued by Indian Empires, Kingdoms or Dynasties, Ancient Indian coins from the southern part of the subcontinent, coins struck by Ancient invaders and finally the coins produced by ancient city states of India.

Medieval Period Coins of India

Medieval India coins can be further classified as coins issued under the Delhi Sultanates and other sultans, Medieval India coins issued by the Mughal Empire, coins struck by the Indian princely states and coins produced by Hindu Empires and dynasties like Marathas, Vijayanagar etc. during the medieval period.

Indian Coins from Colonial Period
Colonial coins of India are the ones that were struck under European powers and trading companies like Dutch East India Company, Danish East India Company, French East India Company, East India Company, Madras Presidency Coins, Bengal Presidency Coins, Bombay Presidency Coins, British India, Indo-Portuguese, Kingdom of Portugal, Republic of Portugal and Ceylon.

Republic Coins of India
Finally we have the modern coins in India that were issued and circulated after India got
independence from the British Regime on 15th August 1947. These coins can be further classified into two groups namely, Anna series coins of India and republic India coins that follow a decimal coinage system.

Each of the subcategories mentioned above can be further divided based on the names of rulers and dynasties. Now you can imagine how vast Indian numismatics is. The idea is to keep researching about each of these varieties so that you can build an impressive Collection of Indian Coins. Pick up a category of your choice and start building a series based on its subcategories.

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