Roman Coins In South India

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THE HINDU

Saturday, June 20, 1998

 

Date of Roman coins found near Srivilliputhur assessed

20-06-1998 :: Pg: 05

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, June 19.

 

A team of archaeologists, which examined the Roman gold coins found

recently at Nathampatti village near Srivilliputhur, was able to

assess the exact date of the coins and the kings who issued them.

According to a press release from Mr. C. Santhalingam, the

Archaeological Officer of Tirumalai Naicker Mahal here, the three-

member team comprising Mr. V. Vedachalam, Mr. C. Santhalingam and

Mr. C. Chandravanan, under the directions of Mr. Natana. Kasinathan, of Archaeology, examined the coins. The coins were

unearthed when the local people were engaged in laying water pipes.

They were handed over to the police.

 

The team's findings pointed out that the nine coins had been issued

by the Byzantine rulers. While five coins belonged to the period of

King Theodosius II (402-450 AD), the other four belonged to that of

King Leo I (457-474 AD). The team observed that all the coins have a

same weight of 3.00 gms and 2 cm. diametre and are in good state of

preservation.

 

The obverse of all the coins have same figures of a bust of richly

dressed and well ornamented King with the legend denoting the name

of the King DN Theodosius Augustus and DN Leo. On the reverse side,

five coins have the standing figures of Victoria with winged

shoulder and holding a cross in her right hand. The legend reads as

VICTORIAAVVCCE. The other three coins have a seated King CONCORDI

with cross and Sceptre in two hands. The other coins have some

different figures and different legends like SALVS REPUBLIC AE and

VOL NURI. The mint Constantinople where these coins were minted, is

mentioned as CONOB. Seven coins have two holes which might have been

used to insert strings to wear as ornaments. The rest two have no

holes."

 

Many Roman coins were found in Kerala and the Kongu region of Tamil

Nadu, which served as main resources of foreign trade. But most of

these coins belong to the early period of Christian era (i.e.) 1-2

CAD. Roman coins were also found at one or two places in Tamil Nadu

but meagre in number. Places like Alagankulam, Kulathupalayam,

Mamallapuram had yielded Roman Coins of 4 CAD. Large amount of coins

were collected from Madurai and Karur. They were all of copper. For

the first time gold coins of 5 CAD has been found at Tamil Nadu.

Scholars opined that Roman trade with Tamil Nadu almost ceased in

the 2 or 3 CAD. But these new finds of gold coins had proved that

the trade continued upto 5 CAD. Similar type of coins of King

Theodosius II and Leo I were already unearthed in Akkiyalur hoard in

Karnataka.

 

End of article in the Hindu

 

 

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Other Evidences

 

"A History of India," (Volume 1) by Romila Thapar (New Delhi,

Penguin Books India (P) Ltd., 1966)

 

"The most profitable overseas trade was the Roman trade with South

India. Yavana merchants (i.e. merchants from western Asia and the

Mediterranean) had trading establishments both in the Satavahana

kingdoms and in those of the far south. Early Tamil literature

describes Yavana ships arriving with their cargoes at the city of

Kaveripattinam. The Periplus Maris Erythreae, a maritime geography

of the east-west trade, written in about the first century AD, gives

details of the commodities carried and the routes taken by traders

and ships. The route for trade then proceeds round the tip of the

peninsula and up the coast, where of all the ports mentioned there

we have now fairly detailed knowledge of one—Arikamedu (known to the

Periplus as Padouke), where extensive excavations in 1945 uncovered

a sizeable Roman settlement which was a trading station, it would

seem that the Romans were using Arikamedu from the first century BC

to the early second century AD. The frequency of hoards of Roman

coins found in the Deccan and south India indicate the volume of

this trade. Most of the urban centers of the south were ports which

prospered on this trade, such as Kaverippattinam" (pg 114 – 115).

 

"Although the economic impact of the Roman trade was more evident in

southern India, the impact of Romano-Greek ideas and artifacts was

more evident in the north. Exchange of merchandise led inevitably to

an exchange of ideas." (pg 118)