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1/4 Karshapana
| Issuer | Mauryan Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 322 BC - 185 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain, largely uninscribed copper surface exhibiting the natural texture of the cast and cut flan. A single spiral or conch-shell punch mark is visible toward the left field, with a small dot punch to the upper right. The reverse surface is characteristically flat and uneven, typical of Mauryan punch-marked copper fractions, with no additional legend or formal design elements present. |
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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.