1⁄16 Karshapana

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Reverse description	The reverse displays a nearly flat, unworked copper surface exhibiting the characteristic rough texture of a punch-marked flan, covered with extensive green cuprite and malachite patina resulting from long-term oxidation. One or more counter-punch or secondary punch impressions may be present, though heavy encrustation renders them largely indistinct. The absence of deliberate pictorial or epigraphic design on the reverse is consistent with the standard production method for Mauryan sub-divisional copper coinage. The irregular edges of the flan are clearly visible, underscoring the hand-prepared nature of the planchet.
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Edge	Plain
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Additional information	The fractional copper karshapanas of the Mauryan period remain among the least studied denominations in the series, partly because their tiny size led to systematic misidentification in early colonial-era collections. The empire's punch-marked silver coinage has attracted the bulk of scholarly attention, leaving the copper fractions underrepresented in reference literature despite their obvious role in everyday low-value exchange during a period when Pataliputra was among the largest cities on earth.