The Goddess Coins: Currency Beyond Commerce

Coins aren’t always for commerce. In many parts of India—especially Bengal, Odisha, and Assam—archaeologists and collectors have unearthed metal tokens bearing deities instead of denominations. These were not minted by kingdoms or central banks. Instead, they were ritualistic in nature, used as temple offerings, ceremonial gifts, or symbols of religious vows.

One well-documented category is the Rama-tanka—a token bearing Lord Rama, often flanked by Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman. These were distributed to devotees visiting pilgrimage sites like Ayodhya or Puri. They had no monetary value but carried enormous symbolic weight. Other tokens featured Durga, Kali, or Lakshmi, particularly during festivals or tantric rites, where devotees offered them in temples or shrines in return for blessings.

Numismatists classify these items as religious or temple tokens, not coins. But for the people who used them, they served a powerful function: they were prayers cast in metal, currency for the gods, and vessels for divine exchange. These objects blur the lines between faith and finance, reminding us that not all coins were made for wallets—some were made for worship.