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1 Karshapana
| Issuer | Mauryan Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 321 BC - 297 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Silver |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Obverse displays a dense arrangement of punch-marked symbols applied to a flat, irregularly rectangular silver flan. Prominent among the devices are a solar symbol with radiating rays occupying the lower left field, a stylized elephant or animal figure standing to the right in the central field, and a smaller quadruped below. Additional symbols including a floral or taurine motif appear in the upper register, with a further decorative punched device visible in the upper right field. The imagery is characteristic of Mauryan imperial punch-marked coinage, with each symbol applied individually by a separate punch die. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | ND (321 BC - 297 BC) |
| Additional information |
The karshapana predates the Mauryan dynasty itself — punch-marked silver had circulated across the Indian subcontinent for at least a century before Chandragupta Maurya consolidated power around 321 BC. What the Mauryans introduced was administrative standardization, with the Arthashastra of Kautilya explicitly codifying weight standards and mint oversight in what amounts to one of the earliest documented state monetary policies anywhere in the ancient world.
The Arthashastra specifies a dedicated officer, the Lakshanaadhyaksha, responsible for coin inspection and counterfeit suppression.