Catalog
Copper Unit
| Issuer | Saurashtra Peninsula |
|---|---|
| Year | 100 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.24 g |
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| Obverse description | Irregular rectangular flan with a centrally placed figure of a frog or toad in high relief, depicted in a naturalistic crouching or jumping posture with four limbs extended outward. The creature is rendered in a bold, schematic style characteristic of early Indian cast coinage. The field surrounding the figure is plain and deeply recessed, with the edges of the flan left rough and unfinished from the casting process. No legend or additional symbols are present. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Irregular rectangular flan bearing a complex punch-marked or cast symbol in the center, possibly depicting a tree-in-railing or architectural motif composed of interlocking geometric and vegetal elements. The design is heavily worn and porous, consistent with the coarse casting technique employed in early Saurashtra regional coinage of the pre-Christian era. The field shows considerable surface corrosion and patination. No inscriptions or legends are present. The edges remain irregular and unfinished. |
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| Additional information |
The Saurashtra Peninsula — ancient Kathiawar in modern Gujarat — operated as a crossroads between Mauryan administrative reach and the independent punch-marked traditions of western India. By the first century BC, local tribal and civic authorities were issuing copper in their own right, distinct from the imperial series, often tied to specific trade routes running toward the port at Barygaza.
Attribution within this regional coinage remains contested among specialists, with pieces frequently grouped under broad geographic labels precisely because die linkage studies are incomplete.