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1 Karshapana
| Issuer | Mauryan Empire (India (ancient)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 321 BC - 298 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Karshapana (322 BC to 185 BC) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Mark 473 |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (321 BC - 298 BC) |
| Additional information |
The karshapana predates the Mauryan dynasty itself — punch-marked silver had circulated across the Indian subcontinent for at least two centuries before Chandragupta Maurya consolidated power around 321 BC. What changed under the Mauryas was administrative standardization, with the Arthashastra attributed to Kautilya prescribing precise weight tolerances and mandating state assay offices called lakshanaadhyakshas to regulate output.
The 3.23g ratti-based standard held with remarkable consistency across mints, enforced by a bureaucracy that punished counterfeiters with mutilation.