Pallavas of Kanchi, Uninscribed Alloyed Copper, 2.45g, Obv: Bull standing facing right, a crescent and Shrivatsa above, Rev: Traces of a two-masted Ship (Krishnamurthy 35-36). Very fine for type, extremely rare.
The Pallava coins with ship are one of the rarest examples of ancient Indian coins depicting a sea-going vessel, following from Satavahana and Salankayana predecessors. They stand testimony to the great maritime strength and network of the Pallava kingdom which stretched across the Bay of Bengal to the coast of Maynmar and the Malaysian peninsula.