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94
ANGAVIJJĀ
The 911 coin of lesser value, as pointed out above, was the name for the copper money of the Kushānas, which according to the commentator of the 3412 was also called, Praia , i.e. the money bearing the figure of Siva.
19–22. The starfar mentions 4 other names of coins of lower denomination, which were once current as sub-multiples of the silver 29199 and also of the copper 4, as I have shown elsewhere. These were the माषक, अर्धमाषक, काकणी and अट्ठा, all referred to in the अर्थशास्त्र, the last one called 34212it.
In the sifa passage, the context seems to indicate that these were names of the sub-multiples of the copper णाणक. The माषक would be 5 rattis, अर्धमाषक 2.5 rattis, काकणी 1-25 rattis and अधकाकणी or
TET (i.e. one-eighth 19) 5/8th ratti or 1.125 grs. Of course these were very minute coins, but their existence may be taken for granted. As I have discussed elsewhere, the actual finds of silver punch-marked coins have brought to light specimens of even lesser weight. Of course it is rare to find them along with other coins in hoards.
The evidence of the surfaat, a text originally compiled in the Kushāņa period and substantially retouched during the Gupta period, thus furnishes important data about current coinage in that age. We learn that coins of gold, silver and copper were in circulation, that in gold both the goof and the starts were minted as distinct coins, that the older and new coins were current side by side, the older (ger) ones being the square or irregular shaped (a a) punchmarked (for) Kärshapaņas of silver of which the great antiquity was very well understood as shown by the designation anfer FTET applied to them, that the new copper 174 coins of the Kushāņas presented a rich series with several inferior coins of lower denominations like the मासक, अद्धमासक, काकणी and अट्टा, and finally that the old Indo-Greek gold staters( ) of an earlier age and the new contemporary coins of the Western Kshatrapas known as the 2814% were also current at one and the same time.
BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY
VASUDEVA S. AGRAWALA
1. India as known to Panini, p. 266, see the Table of Karshapana. 2. isla aga 19***410*
F
o ntfafa, Arthasastra, II, 12, Text p. 84. 3. A note on some minuto Silver Punch-marked Coins of the Raupya Mashaka Sories, INSI, XII, 164-171.
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