Q. Consider the following statements with reference to coins discovered from the ancient period:

1. Lead coins have been found in large number in the Satvahana areas.
2. Punch marked coins were largely made from silver.
3. Roman gold coins were often used to make local Indian gold coins.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: All of the above
Notes: Andhra area possesses lead ore, hence a large number of lead coins were found in the areas ruled by the Satavahanas in the post-Mauryan phase. Punch marked coins, which were the first known set of coins, were issued in the Mahajanapada period. These were mostly made from silver, extracted possibly from the Kharagpur hills in the Monghyr area. Much of the gold used in the ancient times came from Central Asia and the Roman Empire trade. Gold coins issued by local rulers like Kushanas often mimicked the Roman ones. Once the supply of Roman gold dropped, Indian gold coins also became rarer.