An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c13.s5.1

v1.c13.s5.1

Foreign coins recovered from different sites are many and varied. The earliest ones are Persian and Greek coins from Taxila. Later on come the vast number of Roman coins mainly from s. India, highlighting the trade relations between Rome and India. They fall under three periods: (1) the pre-Augustan period; (2) the Imperial age of Rome from Augustus (23 B.C. to A.D. 14) to Nero; and (3) the period beginning with the death of Nero (A.D. 68) and ending with Caracalla (217). In the Roman coins, found in India one often comes across a groove engraved on the face of the emperor. This device seems to be due to the necessity of avoiding Roman gold flowing back to the w. Holes bored in some coins further testify to their being used as ornamental pendants. Since Roman *aurei* and *denarii* were current throughout w. India it strongly influenced the Kushan and Kṣatrapa coinage.