Catalog
1/2 Karshapana - Saurasena Janapada
| Issuer | Surasena Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 300 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Punch-marked obverse displaying a central elongated oval symbol, likely a fish or abstract device, flanked by additional punched symbols including geometric and linear marks distributed across the flat silver field. The surface bears the characteristic irregular texture of a hand-cut and punch-marked flan, with symbols applied by individual die punches. The design is rendered in the schematic, non-pictorial style typical of early Indian janapada coinage of the 4th–3rd century BC. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Plain, uninscribed reverse with a smooth to lightly textured flat surface, showing no deliberate punch-marked devices. The irregular rectangular flan edges are visible, characteristic of the cut-silver technique employed by the Saurasena janapada. The surface retains natural die-flow marks consistent with hand-hammered production methods. |
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| Additional information |
The Surasena janapada, centered on Mathura along the Yamuna, was among the sixteen mahajanapadas documented in early Buddhist and Jain texts. By the time this fractional piece was struck, the kingdom was already losing political ground to the expanding Magadha empire under the Nanda dynasty. Punch-marked silver of this region is notoriously difficult to attribute with precision — the punches themselves, applied by hammer across a cut blank, were used by multiple issuing authorities and frequently reused across generations.