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Æ Unit - Vaisravana
| Issuer | Magha dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 230-235 |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Irregular, roughly rectangular hammered copper flan exhibiting a plain, unadorned surface with no discernible design elements or inscriptions. The obverse field is largely featureless, consistent with the primitive coinage tradition of the Magha dynasty period. The coin displays a reddish-brown patina with areas of green cuprite oxidation across the surface, indicative of significant age and burial. The flan edges are irregular and uneven, typical of hand-cut cast copper units of this era. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain hammered copper reverse bearing a Brahmi legend identifying the coin by its devotional or royal association with Vaisravana, the guardian deity of wealth. The inscription is crudely executed in Brahmi script, consistent with the epigraphic conventions of the early post-Kushan period in northern India. The field surrounding the legend is flat and undecorated, with no subsidiary symbols or border elements. The surface exhibits a grey-green patina with scattered cuprite deposits, and the flan retains its characteristic irregular edges from the hammering process. |
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| Additional information |
The Magha dynasty controlled the Jabalpur region of central India — ancient Dahala — and their copper issues remain poorly understood in terms of precise chronology. Vaisravana, the yaksha king of the north and guardian of wealth in Buddhist and Hindu tradition, appears on coinage from several contemporary central Indian dynasties, reflecting a shared devotional currency rather than any single ruler's preference. The ACR reference series for Magha bronzes is still being refined; attributions within the 230–235 window are approximate, based on stratigraphic finds at Tripuri.