Identify the correct statements related to ‘Coins and Kings’.
(A) The first gold coins were issued by the Kushanas.
(B) Punch-marked coins were made of silver and copper.
(C) Coins were also issued by tribal republics such as that of the Yaudheyas of Punjab and Haryana.
(D) From the 5th century CE onwards, finds of gold coins taper off.
(E) The first coins to bear the names and images of rulers were issued by the Mauryas.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (A), (B), (C) Only
(A) The first gold coins were issued by the Kushanas. Correct. The first gold coins were issued c. first century CE by the Kushanas. They were virtually identical in weight with those of the contemporary Roman emperors and the Parthian rulers of Iran.
(B) Punch-marked coins were made of silver and copper. Correct. Punch-marked coins made of silver and copper (c. sixth century BCE onwards) were amongst the earliest to be minted and used.
(C) Coins were also issued by tribal republics such as that of the Yaudheyas of Punjab and Haryana. Correct. Coins were issued by tribal republics such as the Yaudheyas of Punjab and Haryana (c. first century CE); several thousand of their copper coins have been unearthed.
(D) From the 5th century CE onwards, finds of gold coins taper off. Incorrect. Finds of gold coins taper off from c. sixth century CE onwards, not from the fifth century.
(E) The first coins to bear the names and images of rulers were issued by the Mauryas. Incorrect. The first coins to bear the names and images of rulers were issued by the Indo-Greeks, who established control over the north-western part of the subcontinent c. second century BCE.
NCERT (2026-27): “6.4 Coins and kings … To some extent, exchanges were facilitated by the introduction of coinage. Punch-marked coins made of silver and copper (c. sixth century BCE onwards) were amongst the earliest to be minted and used. These have been recovered from excavations at a number of sites throughout the subcontinent. Numismatists have studied these and other coins to reconstruct possible commercial networks. Attempts made to identify the symbols on Punch-marked coins with specific ruling dynasties, including the Mauryas, suggest that these were issued by kings.… 6.4 Coins and kings … The first coins to bear the names and images of rulers were issued by the Indo-Greeks, who established control over the north-western part of the subcontinent c. second century BCE. The kushanas, however, issued the largest hoards of gold coins first gold coins c. first century CE. These were virtually identical in weight with those issued by contemporary Roman emperors and the Parthian rulers of Iran… 6.4 Coins and kings … Coins were also issued by tribal republics such as that of the Yaudheyas of Punjab and Haryana (c. first century CE). Archaeologists have unearthed several thousand copper coins issued by the Yaudheyas, pointing to the latter’s interest and participation in economic exchanges.… 6.4 Coins and kings … Some of the most spectacular gold coins were issued by the Gupta rulers. The earliest issues are remarkable for their purity. These coins facilitated long-distance transactions from which kings also benefited. From c. sixth century CE onwards, finds of gold coins taper off.…” |