Did you know that weaponry and animals were a common feature in ancient coins? A unique exhibition titled Arts on Coins, presented by the Piramal Gallery and National Centre of Performing Arts, will showcase over 300 coins and 100 notes dating back to Maurya Empire, in order to acquaint people with the artistic genius behind these currencies.

The exhibits are part of the private collection of historian and coin researcher expert Pascal Roque Lopes, international coin exhibitor Sanjay Joshi and ancient script expert Tejasweinee Sachin Pathak. "The idea is to display the artistic labour that has gone into the coins," says Lopes. "We've got some coins with deities on it; there are also those that depict war scenes and wildlife, like elephants walking across a river."