History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c14.9

v1.c14.9

In the light of these inferences we can discuss the minting of coins as indicated in the *Arthaśāstra* of Kauṭilya, generally attributed to the Maurya age (late 4th to early 2nd century B.C.) Kauṭilya referred to a list of objects used in the atelier of a counterfeiter of coins (*Kutarūpakāraka*). These included metals, alkali, crucible, charcoal, bellows, tongs, hammer, chisel, anvil and die engraved with design (bimba) (*Arthaśāstra*, IV, 420). Same articles were apparently used in a regular mint. It appears that lumps of metal were fired with purifying agents (including some other prescribed metal)³. Then prescribed quantities of ‘purified’ metal lumps and alloying materials were melted in crucibles and the molten mixed metal (including the hardening alloy) was cast into sheets (or mixed metal lump was hammered into sheets). The sheets or strips from the sheets were cut into pieces of required size and weight. The sheets or blanks could be blanched with alkali. Then the blanks (cold or slightly heated) were placed one after another on the anvil and stamped by the die (bearing the design in negative) with the help of a hammer. If more than one design was to be impressed on the blank in one single operation, relevant number of dies (each carrying one design in negative) were used one after another.