Catalog
2 Karshapanas - Kalinga Janapada
| Issuer | Kalinga Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 140 BC - 25 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Mitch AC#4609 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| 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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| Edge | Plain |
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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.