Daily Static Quiz Prelims Practice 2027
- Punch-marked coins are the earliest coins of ancient India and the term Karshapana used for them finds mention in Panini's Ashtadhyayi.
- Punch-marked coins bear the name, portrait and regnal year of the issuing ruler.
- Punch-marked coins were made of silver and copper, with symbols punched onto the metal rather than cast in a mould.
- The Arthashastra of Kautilya refers to silver coins by the term Suvarnarupa.
Statement 1 is correct — punch-marked coins are the earliest coins of the subcontinent, and the term Karshapana occurs in Panini's Ashtadhyayi around the 5th century BCE. Statement 2 is incorrect since punch-marked coins carry no ruler's name, portrait, or date, only a cluster of punched symbols such as the sun, animals, and geometric motifs; naming and portraying rulers began only with the Indo-Greeks. Statement 3 is correct — these were irregular pieces of silver or copper with symbols punched onto them, unlike later die-struck coins cast from a mould. Statement 4 is incorrect because in the Arthashastra, Suvarnarupa refers to gold coins while Rupyarupa refers to silver coins, making this a classic terminology reversal.
Option (d) is incorrectly matched because punch-marked silver coins predate the Kushanas by centuries, originating with the janapadas and mahajanapadas around the 6th century BCE, while the Kushanas are instead known for introducing large-scale gold coinage in India. Option (a) is correct, as the Satavahanas are unique among ancient dynasties for their extensive use of lead alongside potin and copper. Option (b) is correct since the Indo-Greeks introduced die-struck coins bearing the ruler's portrait, name and titles, often in bilingual Greek–Kharosthi legends. Option (c) is correct, as Gupta gold coins are noted for their Sanskrit verse legends and artistic diversity unmatched by earlier dynasties.
Reason (R): Many Gupta gold coins carry Sanskrit legends composed in verse, along with intricate depictions of the ruler engaged in activities such as hunting, playing the veena, or performing the Ashwamedha sacrifice.
A is correct, as Gupta coinage is widely regarded by historians as numismatically and artistically the most refined of ancient India. R is also correct and properly explains A, since the combination of Sanskrit verse legends rather than mere titles, along with varied thematic types such as the Archer, Battle-axe, Ashwamedha, Lyrist, and Chakravikrama types, directly accounts for why Gupta coins are considered numismatically exceptional.
Punch-marked coins were the earliest, associated with the mahajanapadas and later the Mauryas from around the 6th century BCE. Indo-Greek die-struck coins followed around the 2nd century BCE, bringing portraiture and bilingual legends to Indian coinage. Kushana gold coins came next, from roughly the 1st to 3rd century CE, marking the first large-scale gold coinage in India, and Gupta gold dinars followed from the 4th to 6th century CE, representing the artistic and literary peak of ancient Indian numismatics. The other options misplace the Indo-Greek or Kushana phases relative to the punch-marked period.
Option (b) is correct, as the Indo-Greeks, ruling in the north-west from around the 2nd century BCE, pioneered stamping the ruler's name, title, and portrait on coins, a practice that lastingly influenced subsequent Indian coinage. Option (a) is incorrect since punch-marked coins carried only symbols, never a ruler's portrait or date. Option (c) is incorrect because the Satavahanas are known for lead coinage, while it was the Kushanas who first issued gold coins at scale. Option (d) is incorrect, as the Arthashastra discusses currency in detail, including terms like Suvarnarupa for gold, Rupyarupa for silver, and Tamrarupa for copper, along with officials such as the Lakshanadhyaksha who supervised minting.
