Catalog
1 Unit
| Issuer | Beikthano Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 100-600 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 30 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field displays a highly stylized conch shell or srivatsa symbol rendered in flowing curvilinear relief, flanked on either side by two serpentine or fish-like forms whose bodies curve symmetrically around the central motif. A small pellet appears at the center of the main design, with additional pellets above and below. A star or asterisk symbol is positioned at the top of the field, while a cross or cruciform symbol appears to the lower left, and what appears to be a short Brahmi or early script inscription is visible along the lower right margin. The composition is enclosed within a beaded border consistent with early Pyu coinage convention, and the overall style reflects the syncretic Buddhist and Hindu artistic influences of the Beikthano period. |
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| Mintage | ND (100-600) |
| Additional information |
Beikthano, located in the Irrawaddy valley of modern Myanmar, is among the earliest confirmed Pyu city-states, with occupation evidence stretching back to roughly the 1st century AD. These silver units belong to a monetized economy that predates most lowland Southeast Asian coinage traditions by several centuries, likely emerging through overland and maritime trade contact with South Asia rather than from any single political mandate.
The five-century span assigned to this type reflects genuine scholarly uncertainty — Pyu coins resist precise dating, and attribution relies heavily on archaeological stratigraphy from Beikthano excavations conducted in the mid-20th century by the Burma Historical Commission.