Antique coins worth several crores seized in Amritsar
The two consignments in which collectively 539 old coins from Pakistan were seized some time ago by the Land Customs Station at Attari had have now turned out to be priceless antiques of various eras.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has confirmed the originality of these coins. The ASI testified that 8 coins having lion and elephant figures belong to the 2nd century BCE-1st century CE, 32 coins known as Taxila coins have been embossed with animal images (bull, lion, elephant, horse) on one side and Greek deities on the other, 140 coins are of Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian times, 100 are from the Sultanate and Mughal periods, 20 are from the reigns of Sher Shah and Akbar and 193 are of the Kushana era etc..
Customs Commissioner Capt Sanjay Gahlot said that ancient coins were seized in two separate seizures one at the Integrated Check Post (ICP) and the other at Attari railway station. The first consignment of 239 coins was seized from an Indian who entered India via the ICP on October 11, 2015 whereas the second consignment of 300 coins was seized from a Pakistani national on January 16 who came through Samjhauta Express at Attari Railway Station. As the passengers failed to produce valid documents in respect of these coins, the coins were seized. Now further investigations would be carried out..
“It is the first time in the history of the land Customs department that such seizures were made. The exact value of these coins is yet to be ascertained,” he said.
These coins are priceless and their estimated value may be in several crore rupees, he said.
News Source : PTI