NUMISMATIC GLOSSARY TERMS 

AINCERT Numismatic Glossary — Indian Context

Flan — The blank disc of metal before it is struck into a coin. Ancient Indian flans were hand-cut and often irregular; the shape and quality of the flan is one of the first things a collector examines.

Die — The engraved metal tool used to strike the design onto the coin. The obverse die carries the main device; the reverse die carries the secondary device. The quality of die-cutting is the primary measure of artistic achievement on ancient Indian coins.

Patina — The natural surface that develops on a coin over centuries through oxidation and burial. On ancient copper coins patina appears green or brown. Patina is evidence of age and authenticity; a coin that has been cleaned to remove patina loses both value and provenance.

Mohur — The gold coin of the Mughal Empire, the highest denomination in the Mughal monetary system. Used for state transactions, diplomatic gifts, and payment of senior mansabdars. Weight approximately 10.9 to 11 grams.

Tanka — The standard silver coin of the Delhi Sultanate and early Mughal period. Introduced by Iltutmish in the 13th century, it carried the Sultan's name in Arabic script. The word rupee ultimately derives from the silver tanka tradition.

Karshapana — The punch-marked silver coin of ancient India, among the earliest true coinage of the subcontinent, dating from approximately 600 to 300 BCE. Each symbol on the karshapana was struck with a separate individual punch. The Kunal silver hoard documented by AINCERT in the Ghaghar-Hakra Expedition 2026 is a direct ancestor of the karshapana tradition.

Dinar — The gold coin of the Gupta Empire, inspired by the Roman aureus. The Chandragupta II Archer type gold dinar is the finest example and the namesake of the ARCHIER Scale.

Paisa / Pice — Small denomination copper coins of the British India and princely state periods. The Quarter Anna and Half Pice were everyday circulation coins; high-grade examples in original red copper are now actively collected.

Obverse — The front of a coin, usually carrying the main device: a ruler portrait, royal emblem, or primary inscription.

Reverse — The back of a coin, usually carrying the secondary device: a deity, mint name, date, or denomination.

Mint Mark — A small symbol or letter indicating which mint struck the coin. On British India coins the mint mark appears below the date: no mark for Calcutta, a small diamond for Bombay, a dot for Madras.

Proof — A specially struck coin produced for collectors using polished dies and prepared blanks, resulting in mirror-like fields and frosted devices. Graded on the PF-ARCHIER Scale by AINCERT.

UNC / Uncirculated — A coin that has never entered circulation and retains its full original surfaces. The paper equivalent for banknotes.

ARCHIER Grade — AINCERT's original Indian coin grading scale running from 1 to 100, named after the Chandragupta II Archer type gold dinar. See the full ARCHIER Scale document at sites.google.com/view/aincert.