Ancient Copper Coins From Portuguese Era Discovered In Goa

A cashew farmer in Goa has unearthed 832 copper coins, thought to have been minted in the 16th or 17th century when the southwestern state was under Portuguese rule. This comes a few months after a village in Uttar Pradesh discovered 400 coins from the Mughal era. The coins were found by labourers while digging soil at Sati Dham Temple in Hussainpur village.

A Window Into History

The coins were discovered by the owner of a cashew plantation in Nanoda village, Sattari taluka. According to a team of archaeologists, a treasure in the form of coins has been discovered because they are linked to the history of Goa and the people of the time. The copper pieces are historically valuable, according to reports in local newspapers, because they were discovered on the Ghat pathway connecting then-British-ruled India and Portuguese-dominated Goa.

According to officials, the coins may reveal information about Goa's numismatic history. The archaeology department will begin carbon-dating them soon to determine their exact age as well as their historical context. After this process is over, the coins will most likely be kept at the Goa State Museum in Panjim, which has displays of ancient Roman coins and more. If you are a numismatist or a coin collector, make sure you pay a visit. If you are particularly interested in knowing about Indian currency notes, you have to visit the Rezwan Razack's Museum of Indian Paper Money in Bengaluru.

Ancient Wonders

Several fascinating archaeological discoveries have been made this year. In July, archaeologists discovered a Buddhist relic in the form of an elephant, as old as 2,300 years old, in the Daya River Valley in Puri. In January, archaeologists found the remnants of a 2,000-year-old Mayan settlement in northern Guatemala. In September, the largest prehistoric cave art collection in Eastern Iberia was uncovered in a cave in Spain's Valencia province. The huge collection of cave art comprised at least 19 distinct animals and has been dated to over 24,000 years old.

If you are the kind of curious traveller who likes to explore the mysteries of the past, then there are several trails in India focused on archaeological discoveries in different states that you can add to your bucket list.

Future Forward

The Chinese developed, arguably, the world's first currency in the 7th century during the time of the Tang Dynasty. And now, in the 21st century, China launched the Time Travel X Banknote NFT series, a project that brings to life authentic and antique, rare Chinese banknotes from the country's past. Read more about it here.