1 Karshapana - Magadha Janapada

Among the earliest coinage produced in the Indian subcontinent, Magadha punch-marked silver issues predate the Nanda and Maurya dynasties that would later dominate the region — struck at a time when Magadha was still one of several competing Mahajanapadas rather than the uncontested imperial power it became. The karshapana weight standard, approximately 3.2 grams, was likely derived from a grain-based measure and persisted with remarkable consistency across centuries of political upheaval.

Attribution to specific issuing authorities within this period remains genuinely difficult. The ACR reference provides a typological anchor, but individual punch sequences on these coins are still debated among specialists.