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Cast CU Unit - Vidarbha Kingdom Post-Mauryan, Deccan
| Issuer | Vidarbha Kingdom (India (ancient)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 200 BC - 150 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 |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A hollow cross or swastika-like cruciform symbol in raised relief, occupying the centre of the flan, with four equal arms terminating in right-angled extensions and a central pellet at the intersection. The arms of the cross create recessed quadrants, giving the design its characteristic hollow appearance. The rough, pitted surface of the cast flan surrounds the motif, with no inscription, border, or additional decorative elements present. The execution is bold and schematic, consistent with the utilitarian casting tradition of post-Mauryan Deccan copper coinage. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Vidarbha Kingdom occupied the eastern Deccan region corresponding roughly to modern Maharashtra's Nagpur and Amravati districts — a zone that sat at the crossroads of northern and peninsular trade networks. Post-Mauryan fragmentation after Ashoka's death in 232 BC created a proliferation of regional copper coinage as former imperial territories asserted local authority through their own monetary issues. Cast rather than struck, this unit reflects a manufacturing tradition that persisted in the Deccan well after the northwestern regions had adopted die-struck methods.
Pieper's documentation of this type remains the primary reference, the catalog being compiled largely from private collection material rather than excavation contexts.