A thin silver punch-marked coin was discovered at Keezhadi during the seventh phase of excavation. According to sources, the silver punch-marked coin weighing 2.20 gm was traced at the depth of 147 cm in a trench. One side of the coin has symbols such as sun, moon, a bull, taurine, an animal figurine and geometric design and the other side has a half circle and a sign — which looks like the Tamil letter “Ta’’ – on the other (rear) side.
Such coins were also recovered during the excavations at Kodaikanal and Alagankulam in the previous years. During the phase-IV a similar coin was traced at a depth 162 cm in Keezhadi.
The silver punch-marked coins are considered as one of the indicators for the existence of trade between the north and the south, particularly with Gangetic valley. These coins were in circulation from the time of Mahajanpadas of the 6th century BCE. The Tamil Nadu state archaeology department is carrying out the seventh phase of excavation at Keeladi where a civilization is said to have flourished on the banks of river Vaigai 2,600 years ago.
