1 Karshapana Late Mauryan Period

Obverse description	Obverse bearing multiple punch-marked symbols applied individually to the flat flan, characteristic of the late Mauryan punch-marked coinage tradition. Symbols present include a crescent-on-hill motif, a humped bull facing right, a six-armed or sun-wheel symbol, and a tree-within-railing device. The punches are distributed across the irregular square field, each impressed separately with varying depths, resulting in the typical uneven surface associated with this series. The overall style is schematic and symbolic rather than pictorial, consistent with late Mauryan imperial punch-marked issues.
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Edge	Plain
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Additional information	The late Mauryan period saw the empire in steep decline following Ashoka's death, with the last emperor Brihadratha assassinated by his own general Pushyamitra Shunga around 185 BC. Coinage from these final decades reflects the administrative fragmentation — silver content in punch-marked pieces dropped sharply, producing the debased billon alloy characteristic of this issue. The Karshapana had been the backbone of Mauryan fiscal infrastructure for over a century by this point, its weight standard carefully maintained under earlier rulers before the system began to unravel.