Pallavas of Kanchi, Uninscribed Alloyed Copper, 3.26g, Obv: Bull standing facing right, a crescent and Shrivatsa above, Rev: Two-masted Ship (Similar to Krishnamurthy 11). Very fine+, exceedingly rare.
Pallava coins depicting ships stand a testament to the maritime power of the dynasty and the importance of trade for the Pallava kingdom. The types borrow directly from earlier coins, such as those of the Satavahanas and the Salankayanas. In a wider perspective, these coins are very important evidential components for the history of India's naval prowess during the Ancient Period and the importance of the Eastern Seaboard in forging commercial and political ties to countries across the Bay of Bengal and further, as far as the South China Sea. No coins with a two-mast ship have been published before. Krishnamurthy lists a single coin (no. 11) said to have been found in the North Arcot district but the ship it bears has a single mast so it would well be a river ship, not necessarily a seafaring vessel.