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ANGAVIJJA
18. 714--It was both a generic term for all kinds of coins and a specific denomination of the copper coin which was much inferior in value (असारगत) to a कार्षापण mentioned as सारगत. As an instance of the former meaning, we may refer to the correa where one who counterfeits coins is called Penal 114 and an examiner of coins as नाणकपरीक्षी.. This evidence may almost have been of the same age as the अंगविज्जा . The बृहत्कल्पसूत्रभाष्य (II. 1969) also employs the term नाणक for copper (ताम्रमय), silver (रूपमय) and gold (सुवर्ण) coins, but this evidence should be assignd to about the seventh century A.D.?
The 7107 coin of lesser value, as pointed out above, was the name for the copper money of the Kushäņas, which according to the commentator of the fee was also called, frag i.e. the money bearing the figure of Śiva.
19–22. The infool mentions 4 other names of coins of lower denomination, which were once current as sub-multiples of the silver teu and also of the copper 401, as I have shown elsewhere. These were the 419, 3744194, 41hut and 3161, all referred to in the 372911a, the last one called 3711uft.
In the infasal 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 25 rattis, काकणी 1.25 rattis and अर्धकाकणी or 319 (i.e. one-eighth 419) 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 Bifuel a text originally compiled in the Kushāņa period and substantially retouched during the Gupta period, thus furnished 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 auf and the - were minted as distinct coins, that the older and new coins were current side by side, the older (971) ones being the square or irregular shaped (734) punch-marked (fat) Kärshāpaņas of silver of which the great antiquity was very well understood as shown by the designation cyst Pielu applied to them, that the new copper UT coins of the Kushänas presented a rich series with several inferior coins of lower denominations like the मासक, अद्धमासक, काकणी and अट्ठा, and finally that the old Indo-Greek gold staters (सतेरक) of an earlier age and the new contemporary coins of the Western Kshatrapas known as the u th were also current at one and the same time.
BANARAS Hindu University
Vasudeva S. AGRAWALA
1. 4erra, II. 240-241.
2. तानमयं वा नाणकं यद् व्यवहियते यथा दक्षिणापथे काकिणी । रूपमयं वा नाणकं भवति यथा भिल्लमाले दुम्मः । पीतं नाम सुवर्ण तन्मयं वा नाणकं भवति यथा पूर्वदेशे दीनारः । केवडिको नाम यथा तत्रैव पूर्वदेशे केतराभिधानो नाणकविशेषः । बृहत्कल्पसूत्र भाष्य on the कारिका II. 1969.
3 India as known to Panini p. 266, see the Table of Kärshāpaņa. 4. merito a i 192444145 #41441fifa Arthasastra, II, 12. Text p. 84. SA note on some minute Silver Punch-marked Coins of the Raupya Mashaka Series, JNSI, XII, 164-171.
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