Ishfaq Manzoor
Name of book : Coins and Currency of Jammu and Kashmir
Author; – Iqbal Ahmad
Publisher; – HSRA Bangalore
Distributor for Kashmir; – Gulshan Books Residency Road Srinagar
Available; – On Amazon and kindle
The book on numismatics The coins and currency of Jammu and Kashmir is basically a well illustrated documentation of coins and currency notes. In his this book, hundreds of ancient coins of Janaphada , Mouryan Greek, Indo Greek , Indo -Scythian , Indo Parthain , Kushan , Kidara, Heptithlites, Karkota, Shahmeri, Chak , Mughal , Durrani , Sikh and Dogra periods have been illustrated and catalogued. These coins are believed to have been minted here during the respective historical periods and most of the coins have also carried mint name as Zarbi Kashmir and Zarbi Jammu and are believed to have been time to time found from the distant places of this land. These coins and currency notes have been scientifically investigated and are illustrated in a very systematic and chronological order. The book carries hundreds of illustrations of rare coins and currency notes. The brief description of the historical period is followed with numismatic illustrations and with the description of coins. It looks just the coins are telling us the story not only of various historical period but of their respective circulations as well.
Karashapan or the Punch mark coin in Silver bearing four to five symbols punched over the face of the coin is illustrated here as the earliest coin of this land. It has been in circulation in the subcontinent including Jammu and Kashmir about 2500 years back during the Janapadha and Maryoun period, which roughly dates to (350-200) B C. Such coins have been found at Semithan Bijbehara in south Kashmir and several such pieces of Punch Mark are also preserved in various numismatic collections and in numismatic cabins of Jammu and Srinagar museums.
The book is authored by reputed archaeologist and numismatist, Iqbal Ahmad, who has been voluntarily involved in study of ancient coins. Originally from arts field, with no any academic background in history, has turned to become the first historian of Jammu and Kashmir who has been reconstructing history by his numismatic researches and have elucidated a series of important questions on the ancient historiography of Jammu and Kashmir.
Iqbal has done a commendable work in the archaeology, numismatic and epigraphic researches of this land. Unbelievably, Iqbal has no formal education in history, but his passion for numismatic, epigraphic and archaeology studies has made him the Historian of repute. He has written about twenty five books and thousands of research papers on history, archaeology, numismatic, epigraphy and architectural heritage, of Jammu and Kashmir.
This time he has documented and catalogued the coins and currency of Jammu and Kashmir right from the earliest Karshapana coins up to the first currency notes called Sri kar.
The author in the introduction of these books claims that this monogram on coins and currency has been actually drafted for general readers, but indeed it is a scholarly work and very good read for university, college and school students and teachers. The people working in banking and commercial units shall also never miss to read this well illustrated cheaply priced book on ancient coins and currency notes. It is really an interesting journey into the world of ancient medium of exchange of the people of this land.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
