Two Coins from Cachar
By Kunja Govinda Goswami
Summary
Kunja Govinda Goswami’s note describes two previously unknown coins discovered in Cachar, a region in present-day Assam. The first coin is of copper, oblong in shape and bears on its obverse a depiction of an animal—possibly a humped bull—facing right, with a tree-in-railing symbol behind. The reverse carries a legend in Brahmi script that Goswami tentatively reads as “Sri Kausambi.” He suggests that the coin may be associated with the ancient city of Kausambi and could date to the early centuries CE. The second coin, also copper, shows a standing human figure holding a spear and is surrounded by a dotted border. Its reverse features a circular legend that remains partly illegible. Goswami compares the iconography and fabric of the coins with other regional issues and notes similarities with coins from Tripura and Bengal. He argues that these finds indicate the circulation of small copper coinage in northeast India and shed light on local political authorities. The note concludes by urging further numismatic study and excavation in Cachar to clarify the cultural affiliations of these coins.
Conclusion
Goswami’s brief report adds two unique coins to the corpus of early north-eastern Indian numismatics. He describes their physical features and tentative legends, linking one specimen to the city of Kausambi and noting stylistic parallels with Tripura and Bengal issues. The finds imply that copper coins circulated in Cachar and may reflect local rulers or trade networks. The author calls for systematic numismatic research in the region to better understand its economic history and connections with neighbouring polities.