________________
AUGUBT, 1903.)
SOME DOUBTFUL COINS OF SOUTHERN INDIA.
813
SOME DOUBTFUL COPPER COINS OF SOUTHERN INDIA.
BY ROBERT SRWELL, M.E.A.S., I.C.S. (BxTD.). COLLECTORS of old coins in Southern India must always have been astonished at the
immense number and variety of the small copper issues found there. In my own collection are many specimens which cannot be classified as belonging to any known dynasty or State ; and I believe the truth to be that they were privately struck at the principal great temples. Just as every leading town in England at the close of the eighteenth century had its local ponnies and half-pennies, 80, probably, there were local issues of small copper coins in South India, generally connected with the most revered shrines, and circulating in their vicinity. I append a note shewing my reasons for this view.
The present list concerns a number of coins in my collection which I have had to class as "doubtful”; and I have to thank the Editor of the Indian Antiquary for permission to publish these Plates. Perhaps readers will be so kind as to send me their views, or, better still, send their notes to this Journal, so that all may benefit by them. I pretend to no special knowledge, and shall not be at all surprised if many of these coins are at once recognized by experts, and my ignorance received with a smile ; but even if so their publication can only do good, since it will enable other collectors to classify their coins correctly. Many of the specimens are dynastic ; many, I think, local ; and these last I venture to christen "Temple coins."
Temple Coins. A very large and varied class of South Indian coins appears to consist of coins struck at the principal temples, and not connected with any regular State issues. In his Hints to Coin Collector's in Southern India, Major Tufnell notices one (Pl. II. No. 23) with a little figure of a god on the obverse, and on the reverse the legend Vijaya in characters which may be classed either as Telugu or as Kanarese; And he quotes an extract from a letter regarding it written by Sir Seshiah Sastri, K.O.S.I., as follows: – It is coined locally" - (.P., in the Padukottah State) - "in & rough way, and its greatest circulation is during Navarathri' or Dusserah,' when it is issued (4 to each) along with the rice-dole every day during the nine days." If I read this aright it means that the coin is not a regular State issue, but is struck, like a small medal or like the local English pennies and half-pennies at the close of the eighteenth century, for local circulation; and that four of them are given by the Rajah of Pudukottah to each recipient of his rice-dole distribnted in honour of the festival.
I imagine that probably the authorities of almost all the principal temples in Southern India similarly struck their own local coins, and issued them to worshippers, and that they may be distinguished from State currencies by the fact of their not bearing the device of any dynasty, nor the name of any king.
Thus it seems evident that the first of the series which here follow, rsz., those bearing the figure of a double-peaked mountain on the obverse and various devices on the reverses, were coined, not by any State, but by the authorities of the celebrated temple of Tiruvannamalai, or Trinomalai, in the South Arcot District. The lofty hill at whose base the temple is situated rises to an elevation of 2668 feet above sea level, and is a very conspicuous object in all the country round. The temple is dedicated to Siva, and the lingam in the shrine is one of the Pancha-lingas of Southern India, or the lingams of the five elements, - this one being the fire lingam. No. 1-C bears the legen! Arunddri on the reverse, which, with the variant Arunagiri, is a Sanskrit name of Tiruvantamalai. (Epi. Ind. III. 240.) I have said that this identification "seems evident," but if it is correct we have yet to learn why the authorities of a Saiva temple should have chosen to represent the figure of a Garuda on their coins..
