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1 Karshapana
| Issuer | Nanda Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 370 BC - 320 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Irregular, flat silver flan struck by punching, bearing multiple punch-marked symbols arranged across the field in the characteristic style of early Indian punchmarked coinage. The obverse displays an array of deeply impressed symbols including geometric and symbolic devices — among them what appear to be a sun symbol, an elephant, a hill or taurine motif, and other emblematic punches associated with Nanda imperial authority. The symbols are applied in an additive manner, each punch struck individually, resulting in slight overlapping and the irregular surface texture typical of Series I Gandharan-tradition coinage. The flan itself is roughly ovoid with uneven edges, consistent with cast and cut silver preparation of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Nanda Empire's punch-marked coinage predates any standardized mint infrastructure in the subcontinent — these pieces were produced by cold-hammering multiple punches onto blanks, each punch applied by a different authority or official, which is why the marks rarely align consistently across specimens. The GH Series I attribution places this karshapana among the earliest issues associated with Nanda administrative control, likely circulating through the Gangetic plain during the empire's consolidation under Mahapadma Nanda, who reportedly destroyed the last of the older Kshatriya dynasties to build the first near-continental Indian empire.