Punchmarked Coins Of Ismilpur Hoard were found in 1964 A.D. by two boys named Bhagirath Meena and Gyarasa Ahir, resident of Village Maleethana, Tehsil Thana Gazi, District Alwar on the slope of a hillock near village Ismailpur in Bairath Tehsil of District Jaipur.
Silver Punchmarked Coins Of Ismilpur Hoardhas been studied in the light of the suggestions made by Shri Durga Prashad,[1] Dr. P .L. Gupta,[2] and Dr. Satya Prakashj,[3] Out of 56 coins, 49 coins are in a good state of preservation and could be studied. The rest are much worn out and are not readable. Coins of this series have been reported from all over the country even in all the five hoards of Silver-Punch-Marked coins from Rairh,[4] the coins of which series are in majority in this hoard.
Obverse Symbols
On the coins of this hoard only 27 symbols on obverse and 22 on the reverse could be identified. Some of them may be described as follows:
1. It is a variety of the six-armed-symbol or ‘Shadarachakra’. It differs in number of arrows and taurines. Usually we get three arrows and three taurines, alternately arranged round a circle having a pellet inside.[5] But, this variety is made of two arrows and four taurines and arranged in the way like this that after one arrow there are two taurines arranged round circle having a pellet. In older Texila hoard, Walsh[6] has noticed this mark as longs coin. No. 739.[7]
2. Only one variety of hill symbol occurs on a coin of this hoard. It consists of six arches surrounded by three taurines, whereas Walsh[8] has noticed five taurines surrounding this mark on coin No. 664 of the Taxila hoard of older S.P.M. coins and its serial No. 11a. This mark also occurs on a coin of Rairh hoard of 326 S.P.M. coins.
3. This is a variety of tree symbol, Punched on coin No. 38 of the extant hoard. Probably it is the same variety of the symbol which have been noticed by Allian[9] in the coins 1-3 of class 2, group V, variety A. In the fifth hoard of 1983 S.P.M. coins from Rairh,[10] on 16 coins, this variety of tree mark has been noticed As fifth mark.
4. The so-called rhinoceros or unicorn symbol, as named by Allan[11] And Walsh,[12] occurs on coins 31, 47 with tank-fish as fifth mark in our hoard. coin a of this hoard. It can be ass also, when its horn on forehead is taken as hair. The anatomy which is executed the coins, also gives the impression that of an ass in place of Rhinoceros.
5. This mark consisting of six dots round a pellent is punched on Shri Jogendra Saxena pointed out that this symbol is often made in the houses at the occasion of Holi, Dewali and Dashera festivals and it is main item of folk-art, specially in Naroti area (Kota-Bundi-Jhalawar) of Rajasthan where it is called ‘Phoolri’ design.
6. On one coin of the extent hoard, the symbol is devoid of its taurines (Yupa pillar) is punched very close to the tris-klesmark. Walsh[13] calls it a compound mark, ‘combined with the Banner or Jayadhvaja’. Allan[14] has noticed six coins of class 2, group III, variety and the author has also noticed eight coins of 1st hoard from Rairh, consisting of 326 S.P.M. coins bearing this symbol as fifth mark on the obverse.
Reverse Symbols
About twenty two symbols could be identified on the reverse of these coins, among which the so-called Taxila, Three-arched-hill with a crescent, Caduceus, Triskles, taurine, Yupapiller, Damaru. Tree in railing, Elephant, a circle having a pellet, flanked by one taurine in each side and four taurines round a pellet etc. have already been noticed on the coins of Taxila, Purnea, Rairh and other hoards.
To out the coins of this hoard in a chronological order Dr. P.L. Gupta’s[15] theory is to be followed, that the coins having animal mark as class mark on their obverse belong to the III period, those having hill mark belong to period IV, the coins which have three gates mark are of period V and the coins having crescented hill mark will go to period VI. Thus about twenty seven out of 56 coins of this hoard belong to VI or late Mauryan period. Two coins have three gates as class mark will go period V. Nine coins having six arched hill and sometimes bull, dog or hare on hill will go to period IV.
It may therefore be inferred from a study of the composition of Silver Punchmarked Coins Of Ismilpur Hoard that it was buried in the late Mauryan period, as the majority of the coins belong to this period. The crescented hill is a class mark on these coins.
REFERECNES
[1] N. S. XLVII, p. 88.
[2] J. N. S. I., Vol. XI, pt. II pp. 114-46; XII, Pt. II, pp. 136-50; XXI,Pt. II, pp. 114-20.
[3] Talk on coins, Section B. Page 1.
[4] Chronology of P. M. Coins, P. 1 read at the 54th Annual meeting of N. S. I. Varanasi.
[5] B. M. S. Parmar, Ismilpur Hoard of Silver Punch-Marked Coins, Proceedings of Rajasthan History Congress, pp. 47-49.
[6] M.A. S. I. No. 59. P. M. Coins from Texila, Pl. I.
[7] B. M. S. Parmar, Ismilpur Hoard of Silver Punch-Marked Coins, Proceedings of Rajasthan History Congress, pp. 47-49.
[8] M.A. S. I. No. 59. P. M. Coins from Taxila, Pl. I.
[9] Allan, B. M. C. I. C., p. 41.
[10] Dr. K. N. Puri, Excavations at Rairh, pl. XXX.
[11] B. M. C. I. C., LXV,
[12] M.A. S. I. No. 59, Pl. I, Symbol 1, No. 34.
[13] J. N. S. I. Vol. IV, Pt. II, p. 122.
[14] B. M. C. I. C., p. 28, coins 1-6.
[15] Chronology of P. M. Coins, p. 9.
