A coin that claims to be a rare coin minted by the East India Company in 1839 with a religious motif depicting Indian gods Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman on the reverse, is what numismatists calla "fantasy" coin.

The above image has been shared widely on WhatsApp and Twitter with many people extrapolating that the early British recognised these deities by etching them on the currency in use. However, aBOOM investigation revealed that the coin is fake.

Moreover, a few other coins with the East India Company emblem on the front and religious motifs of Buddha, Saraswati, Ganesh, Shiva and Hanuman on the reverse, are also fake.

A source familiar with numismatics or the study of coins said these 'fantasy' coins combined features of Ramatanka(s) or 'temple tokens.' The source did not wish to be identified.

Temple tokens with motifs or designs of Hindu gods and goddesses were symbolic and were never meant for commerce nor were they used as legal tender.

Temple tokens did not have currency values engraved on them as they relied on the intrinsic value of the metal they were made of.

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Are These East India Company Coins With Indian Gods Real?: A FactCheck(www.boomlive.in/are-these-east-india-company-coins-with-indian-gods-real-a-factcheck/)