Abstract

            The English word ‘Numismatic’ is derived from latin word ‘Numisma’, means ‘study of coin’. Coins are remarkably durable objects and remained in circulation for long periods of times after they were originally issued. There are several series of foreign coins found in India. It is often applied in India to coins by dynasties of non-indigenous origin, as well as to coins imported from abroad. Among such coins, I would like to discuss some of the best coins found in Ancient India, the Roman coinages. So I shall pick up only a few of them to illustrate the relevance of their study, imported into India by a way of trade, brought by the Indians and left behind by the travelers.

            It containing precious metals such as gold and silver will have arrived in India as trade consignments. The importance of the Roman coins in India goes beyond their commercial implications. The impact and influences of Roman coins directly reflects on Indian coins. The arrival in India of large number of Roman coins can however be dated to the early phase of Indo-Roman trade, the period 30 BC - 45 AD. The coins are found in various parts of India, like Andhrapradesh, Gujrat, Nasik, Kerala and Tamilnadu. The issues of gold aurei and silver denarii coins exported to India were carefully selected with weight-standard and high gold and silver content.

            In the present essay an attempt has to be made to investigate the impact and influence of Roman coins on India. The types, techniques, weight-standard, metal, variety of these coins have to be studied. Since a large number of research papers, some monographs and books are available for serious researcher. Here an attempt will be made to acquaint the layman about the significance and importance of the foreign coins specially the Roman coins found in India.