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2 Karshapanas - Kalinga Janapada
| Issuer | Kalinga Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 140 BC - 25 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 2 Karshapana |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Rectangular copper flan bearing multiple punch-marked symbols applied individually across the field, a technique characteristic of ancient Indian janapada coinage. Several distinct punches are visible arranged vertically along the surface, including geometric and symbolic motifs typical of Kalinga regional issues. The symbols are deeply impressed into the flan, creating raised relief on the reverse side, consistent with the punch-marked tradition. The field shows ancient patination with areas of green cuprite, attesting to the coin's considerable antiquity. No inscriptions or legends are present, as was standard practice for this class of pre-imperial Indian coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain, uninscribed reverse surface showing the characteristic convex relief impressions resulting from the obverse punch-marking process, a defining feature of ancient Indian punch-marked coinage. The field is heavily pitted and granular, consistent with the cast and hammered production technique employed for Kalinga janapada copper issues. Traces of secondary punch marks or faint incuse impressions may be discerned amid the corroded surface. The overall texture is rough and uneven, reflecting both the primitive minting method and centuries of burial patination. No deliberate design elements or legends are present on this face. |
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| Additional information |
The Kalinga janapada issues occupy an awkward position in the punch-marked coinage sequence — produced well after the Mauryan imperial system had collapsed, they reflect a regional authority reasserting itself following Ashoka's brutal annexation of Kalinga in 261 BC, a campaign the emperor himself later described with unusual remorse in his rock edicts. The kingdom never fully reconstituted as a major power, and its copper coinage circulated within a relatively compressed geographic zone along the eastern coast.
The long date range assigned to this type reflects genuine attribution uncertainty rather than a prolonged issue.