India Temple Tokens

top: 29mm, WM
bottom: 42mm, WM

About this token:

• I have seen these described as "Temple Tokens" but I don't have any other information about them. If you know anything about how/why/when they were used, please let me know and I will add it here!
• Linda writes: Here's some information courtesy of my Indian mother. I got her to look at the "Indian Temple Coins" that you have listed in your mystery section and I thought what she had to say might help you a bit. I put it below. Temple tokens are generally from Hindu temples and given to people to bring the possessor good luck.
  My mother's detailed explanation of what you're looking at:
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  I have an almost identical token to the one at the bottom., i.e. the picture looks very similar, but one of the three words below is different. They were given to us for good luck, I think at the beginning of a Hindu financial year. Probably around Bombay, at least, many Hindus buy them or give them to someone every year. I don't know all the details. The language is Sanskrit. The images on the obverse are of the Goddess Mahalaxmi, the goddess of wealth, on the left, and the god Ganesh or Ganpati on the right, the Remover of Obstacles, and the God of Beginnings. The three words start with Shri (Term of respect) Mahalaxmi and another word that I can't make out. (Possibly related, note that some Hindus invoke Genesh's name before worshipping Mahalxmi, every morning, and they believe that by doing so, all obstacles are removed, and they never lack for material wealth.) On the reverse side is a picture of the holy symbol Om. (Traditionally, I have heard, women are not even supposed to utter the word.) The two words on the left and right say "Shubh labh", which translates as Good Luck. The numeral at the bottom may have something to do with the purity of the metal. If you have such a silver token, it's supposed to benefit you.

  The top token is more problematic to read. The language is again Sanskrit, I think, but not clearly legible. The script is Devanagri, as is that of the other token. The first two words on the obverse say Ram Laxman ( Two brothers in the Hindu epic Ramayana.) On the reverse, the bottom profile may be of the monkey god Hanuman. The story goes that during the 14 years when Ram and Laxman were in exile in the forest, Ram's devoted wife Sita was abducted by Ravana and taken to Sri Lanka. Hanuman found her and was instrumental in reuniting the couple. I don't know if the seated figure under the umbrella is Sita, or if some god or goddess is traditionally depicted under an umbrella. I just read that sometime, deadly emotions such as anger are depicted as a serpent. That might be a serpent near one of the brothers, but it's unclear.

  The top one is called a Ramatanka token. Here's a link to one of the older existing versions of a Ramatanka temple coin in the British Museum:
  http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/g/gold_ramatanka_charm.aspx
  "In India coins are seen as symbols of good fortune as well as wealth. This resulted in the production of imitation coins that were intended to serve purely as charms to ward off bad luck." (gold token from 16th-17th century illustrated)

  Here's a list of guesses of values of a Ramatanka coin more like yours:
  http://www.coinquest.com/cgi-bin/cq/coins?main_coin=521&main_ct_id=152
  (modern base metal issues valued at $5, genuine ancient tokens valued starting at $250)

• Joel's Coins sells a brass Ramatanka token similar to the top token illustrated above for $4.75 (scroll down the page to find it). [I have bought stuff from Joel a couple times and have always been very pleased with the items and service.]

• Bob Reis has some similar tokens for sale. Here's what he says about them:
  INDIA, religious tokens - The general principles of religious tokens are that they can serve as handy offerings and as portable shrines. You can conveniently buy them outside the temple and then take them inside to lay on the altar. Priest can come along afterward and sell it back to the vendor. Profit all around. Or you can carry it around in your pocket, take it out anywhere, do your observance, put it back in your pocket. In India they've been making them for thousands of years. Today the round-flat coinoids are very popular gifts for birthdays, weddings, etc. If you search the web for "Ganesh coins" or "Laxmi coins" you will find dozens of sites selling modern silver gift "coins."
  

Know anything about this token? Please send me a note: pineconeforge(at)gmail.com

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