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1 Karshapana - Ujjain/Avanti Region
| Issuer | Ujjain region |
|---|---|
| Year | 200 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 3.4 mm |
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| Obverse description | Standing figure of Lord Shiva depicted in stylized relief, holding a staff or danda, rendered in the schematic artistic convention typical of early Avanti region coinage. The figure occupies the central field of the flan, with subsidiary symbols or attendant devices visible in the surrounding field. The design is executed in low relief with a rough, hand-cast finish characteristic of early Indian copper coinage of the period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse displays the characteristic Ujjain symbol — a cross-shaped or wheel-like device with circular elements at each arm — commonly identified as the Ujjain/Avanti regional emblem, associated with the city of Ujjain. Additional auxiliary punch-marks or secondary symbols are present in the field. The relief is low and the surface shows the granular texture typical of cast copper issues from this region and period. |
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| Additional information |
The Ujjain karshapana series belongs to a monetary tradition that predates the Mauryan empire's standardization efforts and persisted stubbornly through and beyond them. Ujjain itself was a major commercial hub on the western trade routes into the subcontinent, and the regional punch-marked coinage circulating there reflects that mercantile independence — local issues continued even as imperial types dominated the Gangetic plain.
Copper karshapanas of this region and period are considerably less studied than their silver counterparts, and attribution to specific civic or dynastic authority remains contested among specialists.