Ancient Coins of Cooch Behar

Ancient coin gallery demand in Palace Museum

Following recovery of 27 ancient coins from under earth at Falimari
Gram Panchayat area, the demand to set up a new gallery at the Cooch
Behar palace Museum has gathered a fresh momentum.

The ancient coins were recovered on Friday when labourers were working
to make an earthen road at Falimari GP area under Cooch Behar-I block.
The silver coins were kept in a earthen container and it came out
during digging. A few of the silver coins have been lost but the
police recovered 27 from the villagers. They are now under custody of
Cooch Behar Kotowalo Police. Cooch Behar SP PK Das said they will send
the coins to experts to know details. But, many fear that they will be
kept in the Malkhana (godown) of the police station as in the case of
recovery other ancient materials including arms and coins.

The secretary of Cooch Behar heritage Society, Arup Jyoti Majumdar
said they conveyed the matter to the Superintending Archaeologist of
the Archaeological Survey of India's Kolkata Circle. They requested
the ASI to set up a new gallery to room the ancient coins recovered
from several places in Cooch Behar. In 2007, a large number of coins
of the regimes of Cooch Behar maharajas were recovered from areas
adjacent to Siddheswari temple in Cooch Behar-II block. Since then
those are lying under police custody. All these should be placed in
the Palace Museum for the students, researchers and common people
interested in the history of Cooch Behar.

A writer of several books related to the history of Cooch Behar
Kingdom, and also the secretary of North Bengal development Academy,
Ranajit Deb too opined that the ancient coins should be exhibited at
the Palace Museum. They will pose as links to the rich history of
Cooch Behar. ASI sources, however, said that the proposal is under
consideration.