Archaeological Coins at Archaeology Museum of Deccan College Post-Graduate & Research Institute

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Archaeological Coins at Archaeology Museum of Deccan College Post-Graduate & Research Institute necessarily shapes a better meaning about the collection practice with recorded archaeologically revealed contextual assignment through the study of ranging subjectivity and objective experience embedded within the set of numismatic artefacts in each of the respective excavated and exploration collections (Dwarka, Indore, Nagari, Nasik, Nerle, Nevasa, Maheshwar and Navdatoli, Ter and Tripuri), categorically displayed/housed in the Deccan College Archaeology Museum. It also brings a well-grounded understanding of the major numismatic nomenclature and also emphasizes the necessity of integrating constitutive archaeological knowledge for contextual analysis and object-oriented study in the numismatic disciplinary practice.

Dr. Shahida Ansari, is a Professor in Epigraphy, Palaeography and Numismatics, Deccan College Post-Graduate & Research Institute, is a trained Archaeologist, Museologist and Sanskrit-Linguist. She has published five books and two dozen research articles on the subject of Ethnoarchaeology, Museology, Numismatics, Traditional Knowledge Systems, and Ayurveda. She has guided 46 research students. She is a recipient of Prof. H.D. Sankalia Young Archaeologist Award, Dr. Malti Nagar Ethnoarchaeology Award, and Prof. Radha Kamal Mukherjee Young Social Scientist Award.

Mrinmoy Ghosh is an independent researcher. His research interest is largely intended towards the anthropological and archaeological theory, ethnography, agricultural and food archaeology, cultural heritage sustainability, archaeological numismatics and object-oriented study through Museum collection. He believes in grasping the co-constituting matter of ontological and epistemological diversity in justifying the man and nature relation in the past and present.

On the 6th of October 2021, the Deccan College Post-Graduate & Rescarch Institute is celebrating its bicentenary year. In view of this significant event, the staff and the students of the college naturally thought of celebrating this unique occasion in a fitting manner. The most important activity for the year is publications of monographs representing the research carried out under the auspices of the Deccan College in its several departments by our alumni. This gives a coherent expression of manifold research framework which has been strategically performed, nurtured, and also pedagogically practiced in the institution.

It is a well-established matter that numismatic specimens or coins are an authentic source for the reconstruction of historicity of the subcontinent-political, economic, social, cultural, and religious aspects of its communities and cultures. Moreover, coins enlighten us about the aspects of past lifeways through various representative symbols, figures, portraits, flora, fauna, arms, weapons, ornamentations, language, script, literary and technological advancement, the extension of trade and commerce, and movement of authoritative ideas and impacts. The growing impetus of coin collecting practice resulted not only in the preservation of the valuable cultural heritage but also remained helpful in bringing into light hitherto some of the important coin specimens and contributed to the ever-growing knowledge system. This monograph entitled Archaeological Coins at Archaeology Museum of Deccan College Post-Graduate & Research Institute significantly demonstrates the well-organised and systematically arranged catalogue of the unique numismatic collection housed in the Deccan College Archaeology Museum. 1 recommend this book to those who are interested in the numismatic study, archaeological materiality, object-oriented study, and historical studies.

Deccan College Post-Graduate & Research Institute (DC) has been a prime center of learning and pioneering research institute in the field of Archaeology, Anthropology, Linguistics, and Sanskrit studies in India. This year DC is celebrating its bicentennial year and to mark this occasion we had hoped to write a book on the numismatic collection housed in Deccan College Archaeology Muscum (DCAM), indeed we remained successful in grounding an overall understanding of the collection. The Numismatic collection in DCAM showcases a diverse set of coins with having significant historical origin and specific object biography. In addition to the three private collections of coins, Archaeology Museum at DC also has a good number of coins in the collection recovered through the archaeological excavation and exploration of the sites: Dwarka, Indore, Nagari, Nasik, Nerle, Nevasa, Maheshwar, Malwa, Navdatoli, Ter, and Tripuri. All of these coins were mostly collected with their significant contextual information, thus, it remained helpful in the identification and sharing of information of coins. This book is written with the specific purpose of cataloguing all the coin recovered from the mentioned archaeological sites and also to illuminate and confirm the history of these sites known from other sources. The book primarily offers a key understanding of archacologist's perspective in the study of numismatic artefacts and also briefly introduces the readers to the concept of object- life-biography and contextual analysis. Likewise, it also provides a well-informed and systematically arranged catalogue of excavated and explored coins. The specimen of coins under each collection has been arranged in an orderly manner according to their metallic content (gold, silver, aluminium bronze, copper, potin, lead) and chronology of the issuing dynasties. Those coins which are recorded as effaced, corroded, and highly encrusted and some of them remained undeciphered have been integrated under the miscellaneous section.