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½ Karshapana - Kuru Janapada Uniface
| Issuer | Kuru Kingdom (Janapadas (pre-Mauryan)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 450 BC - 350 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Punch-marked field bearing the characteristic symbols of the Kuru Janapada coinage, featuring a prominent elongated curved or serpentine band intersecting diagonally across the flan, forming a triangular central compartment. Several small globular pellets are distributed within and around the intersecting strokes, a typical decorative convention of pre-Mauryan punch-marked coinage. The design elements are deeply impressed into the irregular silver flan by multiple punch applications. The surface shows the characteristic uneven texture and flan irregularities associated with hand-cut hammered Janapada issues. No legend or inscription is present. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (450 BC - 350 BC) |
| Additional information |
The Kuru janapada occupies an awkward position in early South Asian numismatic history — politically prominent in Vedic literature as the homeland of the Mahabharata's central conflict, yet marginal by the time these punch-marked pieces were being struck. The kingdom had long ceased to be a major power, and the coinage reflects a regional economy operating in the shadow of larger Gangetic polities pushing westward.
The Pieper reference is one of the few systematic attempts to attribute these fractional punch-marked silvers to specific janapadas rather than lumping them into broader regional categories. At half the standard karshapana weight, this denomination served petty trade rather than interregional commerce.