Catalog
Æ Unit - Ujjain Region
| Issuer | Ujjain region (Malwa Plateau) |
|---|---|
| Year | 220 BC - 100 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Rectangular (irregular) |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain, largely featureless rectangular flan with a heavily corroded and pitted surface showing green cuprite patina throughout. A faint sinuous or zoomorphic device, possibly a stylised animal figure or symbol, may be discernible in low relief near the centre of the field, though heavily obscured by encrustation. No legends or inscriptions are present. The reverse is characteristic of the uninscribed cast copper coinage attributed to the Ujjain region during the late pre-Mauryan and post-Mauryan periods. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The punch-marked and cast coinages of the Ujjain region circulated across a trade network that connected the Malwa Plateau to both the Gangetic plains and the Deccan routes southward. Ujjain itself was one of the six great cities of ancient India and a node in the overland commerce that predated Mauryan administrative reach into the region. These small copper pieces were almost certainly used for low-denomination local exchange well after larger silver coinage had standardized for interregional trade.