ABSTRACT

Looking for money in the Malabar coast, one often tends to move away from the coast so much into the inland areas crossing the Palghat that one loses sight of the coast; yet the backdrop of all the money in circulation is deeply connected to the coast. This region was the arena of the political activities of the Chera chiefs. Indigenous coinage and foreign currency found in their territory give at least a visibility of the monetary history of this region. Roman coins and coin hoards found in India have received due attention from numismatists, archaeologists and historians. It is the indigenous coinage which needs a reassessment in the light of the foreign coins and imported bullion available from the region. It is quite necessary here to understand the impact of Roman coins and other foreign coins on the indigenous issues and the economy of the region under discussion.