Catalog
1/20 Gold Unit
| Issuer | Kyaikto region |
|---|---|
| Year | 1-100 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.50 g |
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| Obverse description | A conch shell symbol rendered in low relief occupies the central field of the obverse. The design is crudely executed in the hammered tradition, with the natural irregularity of the flan visible at the edges. The conch motif, a sacred and auspicious symbol in both Hindu and Buddhist iconography, is depicted in profile with coiled ribbing suggested by the incuse lines radiating from the central boss. The surrounding field is unadorned and slightly granular in texture consistent with debased gold alloy coinage of the early centuries CE from the Mon region of Lower Burma. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a group of symbols derived from the Indrayasati (Sri Yantra-related) iconographic tradition, rendered in shallow relief on an irregular flan. Two small circles appear in the lower portion of the design field, likely representing auspicious pellets or cosmological symbols. The overall composition is typical of early Mon coinage from the Kyaikto region, where religious and cosmological motifs were combined in a loose, schematic arrangement. The engraving is rough and characteristic of the primitive hammered technique employed during the first century CE in this area. The field surrounding the symbols is plain and shows the natural texture of the worked metal. |
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| Additional information |
Coinage from the Kyaikto region in this period belongs to the broader Mon tradition of early Lower Burma, where locally controlled trade routes — particularly along the Sittang River corridor — necessitated small fractional gold denominations for commerce that larger imported pieces couldn't efficiently serve. The debased gold content suggests either resource pressure or deliberate monetary policy by local rulers whose names remain unrecorded.