Why is svastika shown on thousands of ancient coins of Ancient India Mints? The alternating arms of svastika are an orthographic signifier of early alchemical operations of transmutation of metals to transmut base metasls into metals of exchange value to enhance wealth of a nation. Ancient India was the superpower, richest nation on the globe, contributing to 33% of world GDP in 1 CE (pace Angus Maddison). Working with metals was a major factor which explains this status of Ancient India in Sarasvati Civilization era from 7th millennium BCE.
This monograph posits that the use of svastika in coins of ancient mints proves the decipherment of Indus Script inscriptions detailed in over 1500 monograpjs at https://independent.academia.edu/SriniKalyanaraman
This monograph posits that the decipherment of svastika as 'zinc' is validated by the use of svastika hieroglyph on the coins used in the monetary system of ancient times. Zinc is added to copper to create the alloy calledd brass. This alloy metal was a major component of the First Industrial Revolution of the Tin-Bronze Age from 3rd millennium BCE.
Other symbols used on early coins of Ancient India are also Indus Script hieroglyphs which are read rebus in Meluhha as related to wealth-accounting metalwork ledgers. For e.g.
tree: kuṭi 'tree' rebus kuṭhi 'smelter'
wheel: eraka 'nave of wheel' rebus: eraka 'moltencast, copper'; arā 'spoke of wheel' rebus: āra 'brass'
lion: arya 'lion' rebus: āra 'brass'
fish: aya 'fish' rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'iron, alloy metal' PLUS PLUS khambhaṛā 'fish-finrebus: kammaṭa 'mint, coiner, coinage' Thus, aya kammaṭa 'iron mint'
markhor: miṇḍā́l 'markhor' rebus: meḍho a ram, a sheep rebus मृदु mṛdu, mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'metal', iron'
mountain range: dhanga 'mountain range' Rebus: dhangar 'blacksmith'
portable furnace: kammaṭa 'portable furnace' rebus: kammaṭa 'mint'
woman: kola 'woman' rebus:kol 'working in iron' kolhe 'smekter'
face: mũh ''face' rebus: mũh (copper) ingot' (Santali) mũhã̄ = the quantity of iron produced at one time in a native smelting furnace of the Kolhes
liquid measue: ranku 'liquid measure' rebus: ranku 'tin (ore)'
This is an addendum to
1. Svastika, fish, anchor Indus Script hieroglyphs on ancient Thrace coins 450 BCE, Indian Parataraja, Sri Lanka coins signify metalwork wealth-accounting ledgers. https://tinyurl.com/y6xezmqr
2. 2.Alternating arms of Svastika orthography signify alchemical transformation and Hindu rasavāda, alchemical tradition https://tinyurl.com/y4kt2a97
About 50 seals of Indus Script Corpora signify right-handed and left-handed svastika hypertexts.
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Eran, anonymous 1/2 AE karshapana, four punch 'symbol type'
Weight: 4.39 gm., Dimensions: 19x18 mm.
Railed tree on top left, flower on top right; at the bottom 'Ujjain symbol' on the right
and closed semicircle with two fish inside and two svastikas above on the left.
Blank reverse
Reference: BMC, pl. XVIII, no.12/ Pieper 484 (plate coin)
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Ujjain coins ca.200 BCE. Śiva with three heads. Tree in railing.Two svastikas. Spoked wheel with eight arrows emanating from the knave of wheel.
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Ujjain, 200-100 BCE, Copper, 3.80g, Śiva type, Svastika within orbs of Ujjain symbol (Rev)
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Vidarbha, 200 BCE, Cast Copper, 3.86g, Swastika with Taurine symbol
INDIA, SAURASHTRA: Copper coin with swastika. Scarce and CHOICE.
Ancient Gujarat (Saurashtra)
c. 1st century BC
AE coin (14 mm, 1.79 g)
Obverse: Svastika with a taurine at each arm
Reverse: Standard with taurine on top; six-armed symbol on left and crude human figure on right; indradhvaja at the bottom
https://www.vcoins.com/es/stores/ganga_numismatics/216/product/india_saurashtra_copper_coin_with_swastika_scarce_and_choice/890437/Default.aspx
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Kuninda coinsSilver coin of the Kuninda Kingdom, c. 1st century BCE. These coins followed the Indo-Greek module.[1]
Obv: Deer standing right, crowned by two cobras, attended by Lakshmi holding a lotus flower. Legend in Prakrit(Brahmi script, from left to right): Rajnah Kunindasya Amoghabhutisya maharajasya ("Great King Amoghabhuti, of the Kunindas").
Rev: Stupa surmounted by the Buddhist symbol triratna, and surrounded by a swastika, a "Y" symbol, and a tree in railing. Legend in Kharoshti script, from right to left: Rana Kunidasa Amoghabhutisa Maharajasa, ("Great King Amoghabhuti, of the Kunindas").
Coin of the Kunindas.
Obv Śiva standing with battle-axe trident in right hand and leopard skin in left hand. Legend Bhagavato Chatreswara Mahatana.
Rev Deer with symbols.
Śiva with trident, Kuninda, 2nd century CE.
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Ujjain region, c/m anonymous AE 1/2 karshapana
Weight: 3.96 gm., Diameter: 17x17 mm.
Standing male figure holding kamandalu (water-pot) and danda (stick);
wheel above six-armed symbol on left; three-arched hill with crescent
on top right; countermark on top right depicting a bull with svastika and
taurine.
Blank reverse.
Reference: Pieper 417 (plate coin) / see Kothari 267 for undertype
Weight: 3.96 gm., Diameter: 17x17 mm.
Standing male figure holding kamandalu (water-pot) and danda (stick);
wheel above six-armed symbol on left; three-arched hill with crescent
on top right; countermark on top right depicting a bull with svastika and
taurine.
Blank reverse.
Reference: Pieper 417 (plate coin) / see Kothari 267 for undertype
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Central India, AE 1/8 karshapana,'fish-holding Vasudhara'
Weight: 1.01 gm., Diameter: 8x8 mm.
Standing goddess Vasudhara holding a pair of fish with her outstretched
right, left hand akimbo; she wears large earrings and pinned up hair (as
if wearing a vessel on her head); svastika on the top left.
Lion standing to right
Reference: Pieper 452 (plate coin)
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 3/8 karshapana,'Balarama & ass-demon'
Weight: 3.86 gm., Diameter: 15x14 mm.
Human figure on left holding stick and kamandalu standing towards a
horse-like animal which faces him from right; palm tree on right; Ujjain
symbol on top; a taurine above the animal and taurine and svastika at
the bottom.
Ujjain symbol with a svastika in each orb and taurines in the angles.
Reference: Pieper 346
In a note to the SACG website Shailendra Bhandare suggested the scene on this coin representing the mythical story of 'Balarama killing the ass demon' and the depiction seems to reflect that story indeed quite well- even if the deity on this coin has no specific Vaishnavite attributes. We are told that there had been a large grove where there were palmyras bearing delicious fruits. But nobody dared to go there because the site was guarded by Dhenuka, a demon in the form of an ass. Finally Balarama, inseparable companion of Krishna, killed the demon by crashing him against one of the palm trees. In his contribution to 'Between the Empires' Bhandare discusses the story of 'Balarama killing the ass-demon' in the context of the coinage of Erikachha where the palm-tree and ass had been characteristic coin devices. Typologically this coin type may thus rather belong to Erikachha than to Ujjain.
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 3/8 karshapana,'Balarama & ass-demon'
Weight: 3.86 gm., Diameter: 15x14 mm.
Human figure on left holding stick and kamandalu standing towards a
horse-like animal which faces him from right; palm tree on right; Ujjain
symbol on top; a taurine above the animal and taurine and svastika at
the bottom.
Ujjain symbol with a svastika in each orb and taurines in the angles.
Reference: Pieper 346
In a note to the SACG website Shailendra Bhandare suggested the scene on this coin representing the mythical story of 'Balarama killing the ass demon' and the depiction seems to reflect that story indeed quite well- even if the deity on this coin has no specific Vaishnavite attributes. We are told that there had been a large grove where there were palmyras bearing delicious fruits. But nobody dared to go there because the site was guarded by Dhenuka, a demon in the form of an ass. Finally Balarama, inseparable companion of Krishna, killed the demon by crashing him against one of the palm trees. In his contribution to 'Between the Empires' Bhandare discusses the story of 'Balarama killing the ass-demon' in the context of the coinage of Erikachha where the palm-tree and ass had been characteristic coin devices. Typologically this coin type may thus rather belong to Erikachha than to Ujjain.
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 3/4 karshapana, 'taurine-holding deity'
Weight: 3.00gm., Diameter: 15x14 mm.
Frontally standing female figure holding taurine in raised left, right akimbo;
chakra above Ujjain symbol on left; svastika above railed tree on right.
Ujjain symbol with a svastika in each orb.
Reference: Pieper 298 (plate coin)/ BMC pl.XXXVII, no.8The identity of this taurine holding female remains uncertain at the moment.
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 1/4 karshapana, 'six-headed Shashthi type'
Weight: 1.95 gm., Diameter: 14x12 mm.
Simplified female figure frontally standing, both arms hanging down; railed
tree on right; river line at the bottom.
Ujjain symbol with svastika in each angle.
Reference: Pieper 300 (plate coin)
http://coinindia.com/galleries-ujjain2.html
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 1/2 karshapana, multi-symbol type
Weight: 4.22 gm., Diameter: 18 mm.
Centrally placed Ujjain symbol; svastika and Indradhvaja on right and
railed tree on left; fish-tank above the Ujjain symbol and parts of
chakra on top right; river at the bottom.
Double-orbed Ujjain symbol
Reference: Pieper 379 (plate specimen)Image may be NSFW.
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 1/2 karshapana, multi-symbol type
Weight: 4.97 gm., Diameter: 16 mm.
As previous coin but the railing has nine compartments and the svastika
has been exchanged for a taurine symbol.
Reference: Pieper 380 (plate specimen)Image may be NSFW.
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 1/2 karshapana, multi-symbol type
Weight: 4.64 gm., Diameter: 13 mm.
Railed tree in center; on the left shrivatsa above svastika; on the right
chakra above fish-tank.
Double-orbed Ujjain symbol.Image may be NSFW.
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 1/8 karshapana, multi-symbol type
Weight: 1.32 gm., Diameter: 10x10 mm.
Obv.: Indradhvaja , three-arched hill, six-armed symbol, sun , svastika
Rev.: Ujjain symbol with a dot inside each orb.
Reference: Pieper 382Image may be NSFW.
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 1/8 karshapana, multi-symbol type
Weight: 1.30 gm., Diameter: 11x11 mm.
Railed tree on right; Ujjain symbol above horizontally placed Indradhvaja
on left; taurine below and svastika above the Ujjain symbol.
Ujjain symbol with a dot inside each orb.
Reference: Pieper 383 (plate specimen)Image may be NSFW.
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 3/4 karshapana, multi-symbol type
Weight: 5.98 gm., Diameter: 17x15 mm.
Six-armed symbol in center; svastika and taurine above a railed tree on
the left; Ujjain symbol above Indradhvaja on the right; river at the
bottom; above the six-armed symbol is a square tank with two fishes
and two turtles.
Ujjain symbol with a svastika in each orb.
Reference: Pieper 384 (plate specimen)Image may be NSFW.
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 1/ 8 karshapana, tree type
Weight: 1.11 gm., Diameter: 10x8 mm.
Obv.: Railed tree with large crescent above; svastika above taurine on r.
Rev.: Ujjain symbol
Reference: Pieper 395 (plate specimen)Image may be NSFW.
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Ujjain, anonymous AE 1/2 karshapana, tree type
Weight: 4.19 gm., Diameter: 15x14 mm.
Obv.: Tree-on-hill on right and six-armed symbol on left.
Rev.: Ujjain symbol with alternating taurines and svastikas in the orbs.
Reference: Pieper 400Image may be NSFW.
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| Ujjain, anonymous lead 1/2 karshapana, tree type Weight: 4.37 gm., Diameter: 16x16 mm. Obv.: Railed tree on the right; on the left six-armed symbol above Indra- dhvaja; taurine left and svastika right of the Indradhvaja. Rev.: Double-orbed Ujjain symbol with a taurine in each angle. Reference: Pieper 401 (plate specimen) |