Catalog
1/4 Karshapana
| Issuer | Mauryan Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 322 BC - 185 BC |
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| Currency | Karshapana (322 BC to 185 BC) |
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| Obverse description | Irregular rectangular copper flan bearing multiple punch-marked devices applied in the characteristic Mauryan tradition. A prominent sun symbol with radiating spokes occupies the upper central field, accompanied by what appears to be a six-armed symbol or taurine device to the lower left. Additional smaller punch marks, including dot and geometric motifs, are scattered across the flat field, consistent with imperial Mauryan coinage iconography. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Mauryan copper quarter karshapana occupied the lowest practical denomination in an empire that stretched from the Indus Valley to the edges of the Deccan. Punch-marked rather than die-struck in the conventional sense, these pieces were authenticated by a series of banker's marks added during circulation — each punch representing a merchant or money-changer's personal guarantee of metal quality. The accumulation of those marks across a single coin's lifetime can effectively document its commercial biography.