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1 Karshapana - Magadha Janapada
| Issuer | Magadha Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 350 BC - 300 BC |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Five punch-marked symbols applied individually across the flat flan, including a solar symbol, an animal motif, and three additional geometric or symbolic devices. The punchmarks are distributed across the obverse field in a characteristic Magadhan arrangement, each impressed with a distinct die. The surface is irregular in outline, typical of the hand-cut and punched silver coinage of the Janapada period. No legends or inscriptions are present, the design being composed entirely of symbolic punchmarks. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (350 BC - 300 BC) |
| Additional information |
Among the earliest punch-marked coinages of the Indian subcontinent, Magadha's karshapanas predate the Mauryan imperial series and circulated during a period when the kingdom was consolidating control over the Gangetic plain — a process that would eventually produce the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta around 321 BC. The coins were produced not by die-striking but by punch-marking: individual symbols applied sequentially with separate punches, which means no two pieces carry identical arrangements.
Attributing specific punch-marked pieces to Magadha as a janapada rather than the later imperial mint remains genuinely contested among specialists.