Ranchi, May 8 (IANS) Seventeen silver coins, said to be from the 10th century, were found by a farmer while he was ploughing his field in a Jharkhand village. The silver coins, alloyed with gold, were found at Kokaragarh, located 60 km from Ranchi. A villager, while ploughing his field, stumbled upon the coins and informed officials.

The state government’s art and culture department sent a team of archaeologists Monday to verify the find. They found 17 coins and some gold ornaments. “One side of the coin has engravings of goddess Laxmi and the other side has three lines in proto Devnagri script,” said Harendra Sinha, deputy director of the department.

According to an archaeologist, the proto Devnagri script indicates that the coins belong to the 10th century.

The department has decided to hand over the coins to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) so that further excavation can be carried out in the area and the coins can be carbon-dated.

In the past, ASI has found gold and silver coins, drums and other historical items from different parts of the state. Four years ago, the Ranchi unit of ASI found silver coins dating back to fifth century AD that indicated Gupta dynasty presence in the area.