Catalog
Copper Karshapana
| Issuer | Mauryan Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 340 BC - 181 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Karshapana |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| 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 | Plain, slightly convex reverse field showing a single centrally placed punch mark depicting a floral or geometric rosette-like motif, consisting of multiple circular pellets arranged in a clustered pattern. The surrounding surface is rough and granular, typical of cast or cut copper flans used in Mauryan coinage. No additional symbols, legends, or inscriptions are present. The flan edges are irregular and unfinished, consistent with hand-worked copper planchets of the period. |
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| Mintage | ND (340 BC - 181 BC) |
| Additional information |
The Mauryan karshapana punched-mark coinage system predates the empire itself — these pieces circulated across the Ganges plain centuries before Chandragupta unified the subcontinent in 322 BC, and the Mauryans simply absorbed and continued a monetary tradition already deeply embedded in trade networks stretching from Taxila to the Bay of Bengal. The copper denomination served the lower end of daily commerce while silver karshapanas handled larger transactions, a two-tier system that functioned without a centralized mint in any modern sense.
Punches were applied by multiple authorities — imperial, regional, and merchant — which is why many surviving pieces carry five or more marks from different hands.