Q1.
The Chera kings issued a number of coins under their reign. Do you notice the royal emblem of Cheras on one such coin given below?
Answer
Yes. Two worn copper coins are shown. On the right-hand coin you can make out a long curved arc with a straight line across it — that is the bow and arrow, the royal emblem of the Cheras. It is the same emblem you saw a few pages earlier on the Chera flag in the map of the southern kingdoms (Fig. 6.14, page 130).
| Coin in Fig. 6.18 | What can be seen on it |
|---|---|
| Left coin | A standing animal, most probably an elephant, with faint marks around it |
| Right coin | The bow and arrow — the Chera royal emblem — with other worn symbols above it |
Why a king puts his emblem on a coin: a coin is a small, hard, portable government notice. The emblem said three things at once — who issued this money, that its weight and metal could be trusted, and that the Chera king's authority reached wherever the coin travelled. That is why coins are such valuable evidence for historians: an emblem cannot be argued with.
Tip: ancient coins are usually corroded and worn. Look for the outline of a shape rather than a clear picture — here, one long curve plus one straight line is enough to identify a bow.