Author Topic: Ramtanka: Indian Temple token (Read 20625 times)

oldecurb · « **on:** December 10, 2009, 09:06:50 AM »

Picked up recently in with some other coins. I can't find it listed anywhere. Help would be appreciated

Its about 27mm diameter and appears silver

Thanks in advance

Bruce

Austrokiwi · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2009, 09:35:16 AM »

Now that is an intriguing piece.

I am sure someone else will identify it but as a test for myself. make the following comment:

My best guess is it is mongolian or most likely thai-Lao script. The rim looks very like the type of rim typical of a spindle press as opposed to a lever press.

Overlord · « **Reply #2 on:** December 10, 2009, 09:47:08 AM »

It is a Ramtanka; an Indian Temple token. The metal may be silver-coated alloy but I am not sure.

Austrokiwi · « **Reply #3 on:** December 10, 2009, 09:57:05 AM »

Quote from: Overlord on December 10, 2009, 09:47:08 AM

It is a Ramtanka; an Indian Temple token. The metal may be silver-coated alloy but I am not sure.

I couldn't have been more wrong

Overlord · « **Reply #4 on:** December 10, 2009, 09:59:28 AM »

The description of the legend/images is as follows:

Obverse Rama and Lakshmana; Legend (in slightly corrupt Devanagari): Ram, Lakshman, Janaki (Sita), Wa (and) Hanuman. There is a fictitious/frozen date 1700 at the bottom

Reverse Rama and Sita seated (on these later tokens, the seated figure looks like a monkey), Rama's brothers Lakshman (Left), Bharat and Shatrughan (Right) around; Hanuman bowing in front with folded hands

Ref:
Ramatankas: Hindu Religious Tokens. Illustrating Themes from Ramayana by Michael Mitichiner

oldecurb · « **Reply #5 on:** December 10, 2009, 08:20:03 PM »

Any idea of value?

Figleaf · « **Reply #6 on:** December 10, 2009, 10:08:57 PM »

Emotional or spiritual value only. There is practically no demand for these pieces. I know one guy who collects religious medals and writes about them. He might be interested. Send me a PM if you want is email addy.

Peter

Prosit · « **Reply #7 on:** May 28, 2010, 06:54:01 PM »

Sorry to ressurect an old thread, but it is an interesting one. So If I wanted a batch of temple tokens I could get them for very little money? That is interesting.

Dale

Quote from: Figleaf on December 10, 2009, 10:08:57 PM

Emotional or spiritual value only. There is practically no demand for these pieces. I know one guy who collects religious medals and writes about them. He might be interested. Send me a PM if you want is email addy.

Peter

Abhay · « **Reply #8 on:** May 29, 2010, 04:23:29 AM »

Quote from: oldecurb on December 10, 2009, 08:20:03 PM

Any idea of value?

They are generally available for Rs. 400 to Rs. 500 (USD 8-10). (Provided they are made of Brass).

Recently, I have seen some Gold Ram tankas being sold in the Auctions for Rs. 25,000 to 40,000 (USD 500-800).

Abhay

Prosit · « **Reply #9 on:** May 29, 2010, 05:00:15 AM »

While USD 8-10 is not a lot of money, at USD 8-10 each, I also don't consider that "Emotional or spiritual value only".
Dale

Quote from: engipress on May 29, 2010, 04:23:29 AM

They are generally available for Rs. 400 to Rs. 500 (USD 8-10). (Provided they are made of Brass).

Recently, I have seen some Gold Ram tankas being sold in the Auctions for Rs. 25,000 to 40,000 (USD 500-800).

Abhay

Bimat · « **Reply #10 on:** May 29, 2010, 04:38:49 PM »

Quote from: engipress on May 29, 2010, 04:23:29 AM

They are generally available for Rs. 400 to Rs. 500 (USD 8-10). (Provided they are made of Brass).

Are you sure that they are really so expensive? I myself had bought a fantasy East India Company token for 20 bucks when I was a kid

It shows a monkey(!!) on the reverse,quite a funny piece actually.I think these Ramatanka's are also not so expensive here,any street side seller will offer them for about 100 bucks (or even less).

Aditya

Prosit · « **Reply #11 on:** May 29, 2010, 09:37:45 PM »

What I pictured in my mind as inexpensive were modern examples (if they exist) and I imagined them about as expensive as Chuck E Cheese tokens in the USA. As long as they had interesting researchable images, I thought I might like to get a few hundred. Looks like I drew a wrong conclusion... uh, that never happened before

Dale

Abhay · « **Reply #12 on:** May 30, 2010, 06:50:59 AM »

Quote from: Numismatica on May 29, 2010, 04:38:49 PM

Are you sure that they are really so expensive? I myself had bought a fantasy East India Company token for 20 bucks when I was a kid It shows a monkey(!!) on the reverse,quite a funny piece actually.I think these Ramatanka's are also not so expensive here,any street side seller will offer them for about 100 bucks (or even less).

Aditya

Dear Aditya,

If the Ramtankas are really old, they are worth Rs. 400-500, but if they are modern fakes, then maybe you can get them cheap.

These Ramtankas were infact Temple Tokens, and most of them have been issued atleast 100 years back.

Last Sunday, I also bought quite a few East India Company coins for Rs. 40 each. Now they are available in all the Gods and Goddess - Ram, Hanuman, Laxmi, Durga, Shiv-parvati, Buddha, Mahavir, Guru nanak and so on. And yes, they are still available in Monkey also.

Abhay

Bimat · « **Reply #13 on:** May 30, 2010, 07:00:48 AM »

Whoops,didn't know that fakes exist even in temple tokens!

Aditya

Figleaf · « **Reply #14 on:** May 30, 2010, 12:38:10 PM »

This is a very educational thread for me. Oldecurb's piece has a quality and style I have not seen before. The last pieces Engipress is showing have a totally different style and in spite of the funny date and denomination I appreciate them as collector's items that represent a genuine angle of Indian culture. Even there, you can make different approaches. Oesho once wrote he is interested in the religious angle. I would be more interested in the comic angle, such as one of these passing off Napoleon as an Indian hero.

Peter

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