Copper Karshapana

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.