‘Galapra’ period coin die made by Roman smiths minted in Sangam Era?

CHENNAI: After a gap of several years, a ‘Galapra’ period coin has been discovered and deciphered in Tamil Nadu, thanks to the efforts of R Krishnamurthy, president, South Indian Numismatic Society (SINS).  

The coin was collected from the Amaravathi river bed Karur in 1986. The period immediately after Sangam Age in the Tamil Country is called the Kalabhra (also Galapra) Interregnum and  an alien tribe occupied the Tamil Country throwing out the  ancient Chera, Chola and  Pandya kingdoms and ruled for some period for which there is no proper evidence.

“This is an accidental discovery. When I was rearranging my old collection of Pallava Coins six months ago, I saw a coin which has a different texture not at all connected with the Pallava coin. In the coin holder,  I have written in 1986 that the coin was collected from the Amaravathi river bed, Karur,” Krishnamurthy, an expert in deciphering Brahmi scripts, told Express.

He also recalled that in 1986 he had published a square copper coin with  an elephant on the obverse and a legend in Brahmi-script  “I read the legend as ‘GALAPIRA’.   Many scholars did not accept  my reading because of some reasons,” he recalled. Krishnamurthy had presented a paper on his recent discovery at the recent conference of SINS at Hyderabad.

Regarding the date of the coin, Krishnamurthy said, “The coin is die struck and the minting is of high quality. It looks similar to the Roman bronze coin of Third century AD. On going through a Roman Coin  catalogue, I found a coin similar in diameter and weight. The Galapra coin die might have been designed and made by Roman coin die-makers.”

He further said the ‘Galapra’ coin had four symbols on the obverse top right near the border  which are usually seen in Sangam Age Tamil coins.

 “So, the coin may have been minted  at the fag end of Sangam  Age,” Krishnamurthy said.