Lectures on Ancient Indian Numismatics (Carmichael Lectures, 1921) c7.25.3

c7.25.3

A Suvarṇa-Māshaka is, therefore, a gold coin which is equal to one *māsha* in weight according to the standard of gold coinage. And in the first of the two instances here quoted we have seen that Udayabhadra holds in front of his wife a plate filled with Suvarṇa-Māshakas, which, just because we are not told how many they were, cannot denote pieces of gold bullion but gold coins only,—such as were ready at hand and could be got hold of at any time for waving them round a person. As the plate is said to have been filled with Suvarṇa-Māshakas, it follows that they were all distinct pieces, so that each one of them could be called a Suvarṇa-Māshaka, and that each piece weighed one *māsha*. And are we to suppose that in this instance gold bullion was so adroitly chopped off, and just on the spur of the moment, that every bit weighed exactly one *māsha* and could thus be a separate piece by itself? This is simply absurd. We thus perceive that in ancient India of the sixth or perhaps of the seventh century B. C. no less than three types of gold coins were current. Of the lowest value was the Māshaka, of a higher denomination was the Suvarṇa, and of a still higher denomination, the Nishka.