“Coinage plays a valuable role in determining certain period of Indian history.” Justify the statement giving two points.

Coins have a history of thousands of years. Because they are mass-produced and made of metal they survive in large quantities. As a result they are often valuable sources of information about the nations and rulers who have made and used them. Gold coins were first issued by the Kushanas such coins were identical in weight to those issues by contemporary Roman and Parthian rulers. These have been found in several sites in North India and Central Asia, and indicate the enormous value of the transactions taking place across such a wide geographical area. Gold coins were also issued by the Gupta rulers, and they were known for their purity. These facilitated long-distance transactions.

It tells us about the reigning periods of kings and give us dates of important political events. It tells us about the economy of the kingdom and trade with other regions.