A young numismatist of Banaras Hindu University, Dr Amit Kumar Upadhyaya, has bagged a prestigious project from Indian National Science Academy, an autonomous body of Ministry of Science & Technology, to study the Punchmark coins found in Uttar Pradesh.

“These coins are about 2,800 years ago and are termed so because of the technique used in their making. The coins made of pure silver were the first ever coins to be discovered and were built by punching on them. The coins were widely in use all over the peninsula in ancient times, however, there are questions regarding their issuer, origin and supply, which still require deeper and comprehensive study,” says the press statement.

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 Dr Amit Upadhyaya, who is also an assistant professor in department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, says he received an incentive grant under the Institution of Eminence initiative project in BHU, for a proposal on Punchmark coins.

He further developed the idea to study the coins in the whole state of Uttar Pradesh and applied for a project, which got INSA approval. “Once my study in Uttar Pradesh is over, I plan to take this study to other states and all over the country”, said Dr Upadhyaya.

The study will aim to answer three primary questions, which includes, finding the issuing authority of these coins, how were they minted (constructed) and origin of coins. The project is going to be a collaborative one and experts from the departments of geology, metallurgy and physics of the university will also be involved in this study.