Angavijja

SR No.: 001439
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Punyavijay, Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 470
Language: Prakrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari, Agam, Canon, Jyotish, & agam_anykaalin
File Size: 12 MB

Page 98

७३
It is evident from the above that a full contingent of coin-names as presented here is the following:
1.
सुवण्ण मासक
(सुवर्ण माषक)
2.
रयय मासक
(रजत माषक)
3.
दीणार मासक
(दीनार माषक )
4.
णाण मासक
5. काहापण
6.
खत्तपक
7.
पुराण
8.
सरक
9.
सुवण्ण काकणी
10. मासक काकणी
11. सुवण्ण गुंज
12. दीणारि
13. आदिमूल काहावण also called पुराण
14. उत्तमकाहावण
15. मज्झिम काहावण
COIN NAMES
(नाणक माषक) (कार्षापण)
( क्षत्रपक)
(पुराण)
(Stater)
(सुवर्ण काकणी)
( माषक काकणी)
(सुवर्ण गुंजा)
( दीनार Denarius)
(उत्तमकार्षापण)
(मध्यम कार्षापण)
(जघन्य कार्षापण)
(बाल कार्षावण, also called नवकार्षापण)
16. जहण्ण काहावण
17. बाल काहावण
18. णाणक
(नाक)
19. मासक
(कायमंत, of big size)
20. अद्धमासक
( मज्झिमकाय, of medium size)
21. काकणि
( मज्झिमाणंतर काय, of small size)
( पच्चवर काय, of minute size)
22. अट्ठा We may now offer some explanation of these coin denominations.
1. सुवण्णमासक—This seems to refer to the gold माषक coin which was a submultiple of the standard gold coin called auf. According to the traditional weight standard the auf coin was of 80 rattis and a माषक was one-sixteenth part of it, hence weighing 5 rattis :
पञ्च कृष्णलको मापस्ते सुवर्णस्तु षोडश । (मनु ८२१३४)
Kautilya had laid down that a सुवर्ण and कर्ष each was equal to 16 सुवर्णमाषकs and that the latter was 5 rattis in weight :
सुवर्ण माषकः पञ्च वा गुञ्जाः । ते षोडश सुवर्णः कर्षो वा । (अर्थशास्त्र II. 19 )
The gold coins of the Guptas are mentioned both as दीनार and सुवर्ण in their inscriptions. The सुवर्ण standard of 80 rattis was frankly adopted in the reign of Skandagupta only, whose coins were struck to two standards, viz. an average of 131 grains and that of 142 grains. The latter has been unanimously accepted as conforming to the ancient Hauf weight of 144 grains (taking 1 ratti = 1.8 grains). What could have been the standard followed by the Gupta mint-masters when they were minting to an average of 131 grs. has remained an unsolved problem so far.
An important fact is brought to light by the अंगविज्जा, viz that besides the दीनार - सुवर्णs which were the standard gold coins, their sub-multiples were also minted, and these are specifically called auf दीनारमाषक No specimen however, of such small gold coins of the Guptas has yet been found.
and
1. J. Allan, Catalogue of the Coins of the Gupta Dynasties, p. cxxxiv; cf. Flcet, C II, iii, No. 64.