Victorian coins found in Haryana village

Chandigarh, Apr 1 (UNI) As many as 23 coins of British Victorian period were recently found in village Indachhoi of Fatehabad district, Haryana Minister of State for Archaeology, Museums and Archives, Meena Mandal said.

The coins were found while levelling the land in village Indachhoi in Tehsil Tohana on a mound of later medieval civilisation, she told mediapersons, here yesterday.

One of the interesting facts about the coins was that the ones which were issued in 1852 A.D. when India was not completely under the direct control of British Empire, had ''Queen Victoria'' inscribed over them, she said.

In the post-1857 coins a crown was shown on her head with the inscription describing her as ''Empress Victoria''. Incidently, the year 1857 witnessed the ''uprising'' by Indian rulers. The movement is hailed as the first war of the Indian freedom struggle.

The State's Archaeology Department was taking steps to take the coins in its possession under the Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878 as the coins could impart vital information about the period, the minister said.

The coins would be soon made a part of the fascinating collection of silver and copper coins in possesion of the State's Archaeology Department ranging from ancient India to the British period, Ms Mandal said.

The Minister said the coins of different Republics of ancient times and Kings have been found in Haryana. The collection includes coins prevalent in the times of Yaudheya Gana, Kunind Gana, Agreya Gana, Rajanya Gana, Kushana, Gupta, Indo-Greek, Gurjara Pratihara, Samantdeva, Someshvaradeva, Anangpal, Prithaviraj, Bishal Deva, Salakshanapala Deva, Chahar Deva, Mahipal, Madanpal, Ajay Deva, Harsh, Bhima Deva and all Muslim and British rulers from Queen Victoria to George VI.

The Deputy Director of the depertment J. S. Khatri said the inscriptions found on these coins were in Brahmi, Kharoshati, Gupta, Later Gupta, Devanagri, Arabic, Persian and Roaman scripts.

These coins, mainly made of gold, silver and copper were found in Khokharakot of Rohtak district, Naurangabad of Bhiwani district, Agroha and Hansi of Hisar district, Mohanbari of Jhajjhar district, Sugh in Yamunanagar district, and also at some places in Jhajjhar, Rewari, Jind, Dadri, Thanesar and Bhahadurgarh districts, he said.

UNI