Chola era silver coin found near Panruti
Tamil Nadu: A silver coin from the Chola period was found near Panruti in Cuddalore district.
Archaeologist Emmanuel said: College students Vinothkumar, Deva, Samuel, and David Rajkumar conducted a surface field survey in the Thenpennai River in Ulundampattu, near Panruti, where they found the coin.
After cleaning the coin, it was determined to be a silver coin from the Rajaraja Chola period. The coin weighed approximately 4.35 grams. The word ‘Sriraja’ was written in Devanagari script on one side of the coin.
Therefore, this coin dates back to the period of Rajaraja Chola I, the great king who ruled Tamil Nadu from 985 to 1014 AD.
On one side of the coin, a man stands holding a flower in his hand. On the left side, there are four circles, a crescent moon above them, and flowers below them. On the right side, there is a trident and a lamp.
The reverse of the coin depicts a seated man holding a conch shell. Near his left hand is the inscription “Shri Rajaraja” in Devanagari script.
So far, only over 50 copper coins from the Rajaraja Chola period have been found in surface field surveys of the Thenpennai River. However, a silver coin has been discovered for the first time now.
He said that coins used by the Sangam kings and the subsequent Chera, Chola, and Pandya dynasties in Tamil Nadu are periodically found by researchers in river basins such as the Tamiravaruni, Vaigai, and Kaveri.
