History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c14.s3.20

v1.c14.s3.20

The use of smaller upper die may have originated from the desire for allowing the blank to have enough space to receive the full impression of the reverse device even if there was some oscillation of the punch-die during the time of manually operated production. We should also note that the available evidence in other fields of numismatic research shows that an upper die (trussel die) was less durable than the lower die (pile die). So in a given period a mint might require more upper dies than lower dies. Hence the smaller size of the punch-die could have lowered the cost of production in a given period which would have been otherwise grater then the amount required for manufacturing the anvil-dies. As a result of hard striking by the smaller upper die on the blank its outer marginal part outside the area stamped with the relevant device became a little raised. Such concave reverse may be noticed on some coins, which have convex obverse (Mukherjee, 1967, Pl VI A, No. 9; Pl. VIII A; No.21; JNSI, 1956, Vol.XVIII; Pl 1, No.2f).