RENOWNED NUMISMATISTS TO BRAINSTORM KEY AREAS OF METALLIC CURRENCY HISTORY DURING AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AT BHU
VARANASI: Money whether metallic or otherwise is a very significant source for historical reconstructions. Numismatics involves nuanced study of the metallic pieces and the study of those dies which can be done through a micro study of these metallic pieces even in the absence of their original specimens. On one hand this field of study gives a detailed picture about the primary source and is often instrumental in changing history and historical facts from time to time, yet these are not often studied directly by Historians who interpret or reconstruct economic history. This is among many key questions and issues renowned numismatists will be brainstorming about during the three-day international conference being organized jointly by Faculty of Social Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Numismatic Society of India, BHU, and Jnana-Pravaha from 26th to 28th February.
Monetary history as the term suggests is the history of money: its presence, absence, paucity, profusion and even the process of demonetization. It also looks at human engagement with the process of minting, regulating and manipulation of the market economy through a strict control over money and monetization.
Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, and organizing secretary of the conference Prof. Binda Paranjape said that Economic History and its reconstruction depends on several factors and numismatic specimens are a significant part of that evidence. She said the information available from the numismatic specimens are often used by those who engage in a very difficult exercise of interpreting monetary history.
Co-ordinator of the workshop Dr. Amit Kumar Upadhyaya, said the seminar cum workshop intends to look at the production of metallic currency and the varied angles involved in this process of production. We shall look at the theories of monetization and how historians look at it and how they use the interpretation of history and historical facts. We shall not only look at the beginning of money in the Indian context but also in the global context, said Dr. Upadhyaya.
The conference will have renowned experts from California, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Macau and many more from various parts of the country and the world.
