JAJPUR: A farmer of Radhanagar village in Dharmasala block Benudhar Nayak stumbled upon a gold coin while working on his field on Wednesday.
The coin weighs around 6.5 grams and is carved with images on both sides. The image of King Huviska on one of its sides suggests it dates back to the second century and belongs to the Kushan era, said historian Nrusingha Charan Sahoo.
He said King Huviska was a Kushan emperor and several gold and silver coins along with pottery items were discovered from the village during an excavation carried out by the Odisha Institute of Maritime and South East Asian Studies (OIMSEAS).
The unearthing of scores of inscriptions and other evidence proves that Radhanagar was the capital of Tosali, an ancient city of Odisha. “As the capital, it had maritime links with South East Asian and other countries,” said Sahoo.However, the coin is yet to be examined by archaeologists to ascertain its age and history.