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2 Karshapana Taurine Symbol
| Issuer | Republic of Shakya (Janapadas (pre-Mauryan)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 600 BC - 500 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 2 Karshappana |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Irregular flat silver punch-marked surface bearing a central taurine (bull-head) symbol punched in intaglio, characteristic of early Janapada coinage. The device appears within a roughly circular punch impression set against the uneven, unstruck field typical of archaic Indian bent-bar or flat-bar silver coinage. The surfaces exhibit the characteristic granular texture and oxidation consistent with ancient hammered silver. The punching is bold and deeply impressed relative to the flan, reflecting the hand-struck technique of the pre-Mauryan period. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Shakya republic occupies a specific place in this coinage tradition as the ruling clan of Kapilavastu, in the foothills of what is now southern Nepal — and the same tribal polity into which Siddhartha Gautama was born, probably within this very period of issue. The punched-mark technique used to authenticate these pieces involved multiple dies applied by different officials, meaning no two Karshapana are struck identically.