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COIN NAMES
194 to recall the evidence of the Pali commentaries to which Prof. C. D. Chatterji had drawn attention.' There the ancient punch-marked silver Kärshāpaņas are called and the same is distinguished from 14, viz. the coins which were minted by Rudradaman, the Great Satrap who ruled in 150 A.D. According to the सारत्थदीपनी a रुद्रदामक coin was three-fourth in value of a नीलकहापण. It may be taken for granted that in weight also it was three-quarters of the standard silver Kärshāpaṇa of 32 rattis, i.e. of 24 ratti (= 40 grs.) weight. These silver coins were apt to excessive wear and tear, and due to the deposit of verdigris on the surface they were graphically nicknamed as eh. We find in the available specimens a good deal of variation in weight; e.g. Rapson has recorded wts. ranging from 28 grs. to 38 grs. (specimen no. 320 is 37 grs. and no. 324, 38 grs.).
coins, i.e. ones minted by Rudradaman himself,
We may also make a distinction between the 4 and the 4 coins, i.e. others which were minted by his successors on the model of the original 14hs. For all practical purposes they were indentical in weight, fabric and value. The general name for all such coins of the Western Kşatrapas must have been खत्तपक as revealed by the अंगविज्जा.
7. पुराण - These were the आदिमूल or the original Kärshapana coins of ancient mintage which continued to remain in circulation from circa sixth century B. C. to circa 6th century A. D. These are now known as coins of the punch-marked series and are of many Classes and Varieties. Fortunately once put into circulation, they were never withdrawn by subsequent rulers, even when new coins were cast and minted. During the Śaka-Kushana period (C. 1st Cent. B.C. 3rd Cent. A.D.) they served as the standard money of the day and public endowments were made and recorded in terms of the 'Purana' or the ancient Kärshāpaņas of the punch-marked variety. In the Punyaśāla Pillar Inscription of Huvishka at Mathura an endowment of 1100 Purāņa coins was deposited with two guilds which undertook to make certain provisions of public benefaction in consideration of the interest accruing on the original sum.
The implication of the 4-f passage cited above, seems to be that the term was of very wide application and included all kinds of old and new silver coins, under which each class was distinguished by its special name like पुराण, रुद्रदामक, खत्तपक, etc. At any rate the word पुराण was of unmistakable denotation to the common man in the Saka-Kushana period when most of the material for the infa was compiled. Manu also mentions the coin under the name of y, i.e. a q coin of silver, which was equal in wt. to 16 raupya-mashakas (Manu. VIII. 135, 136). In passage no. IV above, the reference to the H
1. In view of Prof. C. D. Chatterji's article, Some Numismatic Terms in Pali Texts, being published in a rather out of the way Journal (Journal of the U. P. Historical Society, Vol. VI, Pt. I, January 1933, pp. 156-173) and the exceptional importance of that evidence for comparative study, the three original passages are cited here :
(I) तदा राजगहे वीसतिमासको कहापणो होति, तस्मा पञ्चमासको पादो। एतेन लक्खणेन सव्वजनपदेसु कहापणस्स चतुत्थो भागो पादा' ति वेदितव्वो । सो च खो पोराणस्स नीलकहापणस्स वसेन न इतरेसं रुद्रदामकादीनं । (समन्तपासादिका on सुत्तविभंग, पाराजिक 11. 1.6, विनयपिटक, P.T.S, Vol. III, P. 45).
At that time at Rajagaha one Kahapana was equal to twenty maṣakas; wherefore one Pada was equal to five masakas. By this standard it is to be understood that, in all the provinces the quarter of a Kahapana, is a Pada. But this is in respect of the ancient Nilakahapana (and) not of these (latter-day) Rudradamaka (coins) and these have been modelled after it;
11 इमिना व 'सव्वजनपदेसु कहापणस्स वीसतिमो भागो मासको ति इदञ्च वुत्तमेव होती'ति दट्ठव्वं । पोराणसत्थानुरूप लक्खणसम्पन्ना उप्पादिता नीलकहापणाति वेदितव्वा । रुद्रदामेन उप्पादतो रुद्रदामको सो किर नीलकहापणस्स तिभागं अग्घति । (सारत्थदीपनी comm. on the समन्तपासादिका, Sirthalese edn., Vol. I, p. 493).
I
It must be bome in mind that by this (referring to the 4 passage cited above) it has been said that in all the provinces the twentieth part of a कहापण is a मासक. A नीलकहापण is to be understood as being manufactured with marks following the ancient (numismatic) treatises. A 4 (coin) is one which has been manufactured by Rudradama. This (money-piece) is said to be equivalent to three quarters of a नीलकहापण.
--मासको
III 'पोराणकस्सा' ति पोराणसत्यानुरूपमुप्पादितस्स लक्खणसम्पन्नस्स नीलकहापणसदिसस्स कहापणस्स एतेन रुद्रदामकादीनि पटिक्खिपति---- नाम पोराणकस्स कहापणस्स वीसतिमो भागो या लोके 'मझेट्ठी' तिपि वुच्चति ।
*(The expression) (ie. of the ancient) applies to the manufactured with marks according to the ancient (numismatic) treatises and resembling the ether. By this (expression) are excluded the 4 (coin) and those which have been modelled after it is, indeed, the twentieth part of an ancient 14, which is also called Mañjetthi in current usage.'
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