History revealed through coins

With the Dinesh Mody Numismatics Museum at Santacruz launching the Dinesh Mody Numismatics Society last week, its inaugural function gave interested numismatists in the city an insight into the age of the Kushanas.

The coins are of particular interest because the first depictions of Buddha in human form happened during this period

With the Dinesh Mody Numismatics Museum at Santacruz launching the Dinesh Mody Numismatics Society last week, its inaugural function gave interested numismatists in the city an insight into the age of the Kushanas. For, kicking off the inaugural function was Robert Bracey, curator of the Kushana Coins Project at the British Museum , who delivered a lecture on coins of the Kushana Dynasty, unraveling various mysteries of that period through an analysis of the coins.

Titled 8216;Kushana Coins: The Structure and Chronology of their Issue 8211; What We Know Now8217; -the Bracey lecture helped throw light on how the study of coins helped in the reconstruction of the history of the Kushanas, an empire that extended from Afghanistan through India and Burma. Bracey, who is the Assistant Editor, Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society in the UK , specializes in the history of the Kushana period. 8220;The coins are especially important because the first depictions of Buddha in a human form were in this period. Till then the depictions were symbols- a lotus, or an elephant,8221; said Dilip Rajgor, General Secretary, Dinesh Mody Museum Society. 8220;Bracey is an expert on Kushana coins, and has come here especially come to deliver a lecture,8221; he adds. The Dinesh Mody Numismatics Museum is located within the University Campus at Kalina in Santacruz, and the Dinesh Mody Museum Society is looking at organizing lectures and talks by various scholars in the coming months.

The society will also hold regular meetings for coin collectors and dealers in order to exchange numismatic discoveries and will have coin exhibitions, quizzes on coins along with excursions to various historical sites, monuments and museums.