Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c25.s15.t7: 5.15.7 Reason for the employment of Tamil in the coin-legends

c25.s15.t7.1

The final question to be considered is why the Andhra kings chose Tamil and not Telugu for the legends on the reverse of their silver coins. The question does not admit of an easy answer and one can only speculate on the probable reasons. My suggestion is that the Sātavāhanas employed Prakrit and Tamil in their coin-legends as these were the only two languages used for political and administrative purposes in South India at the turn of the Christian Era. The Sātavāhanas apparently wanted the legends on their silver coins to be understood by the people of the Tamil kingdoms with whom they must have had active commercial intercourse.