Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
Karshapana
| Issuer | Saurashtra Janapada (Janapadas (pre-Mauryan)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 200 BC - 1 BC |
| 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 |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Irregular square flan bearing an arrangement of multiple punch-marked symbols in the field. A prominent central vertical staff or pillar motif is flanked on the left by a taurine or bull symbol accompanied by a small ankh-like device, and on the right by a standing human or deity figure with outstretched arms. Additional symbolic punches, including a crescent or serpentine motif, appear in the upper field. A horizontal line divides the lower portion of the flan, typical of Saurashtra regional coinage. All devices are applied by individual punch tools in the characteristic janapada tradition. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (200 BC - 1 BC) |
| Additional information |
The Saurashtra janapada occupied the peninsula now known as Kathiawar in Gujarat, and its punch-marked and cast bronze issues circulated within a regional economy largely independent of the Gangetic monetary system. Most karshapanas are silver and tied to the main artery of Mauryan and pre-Mauryan trade — a bronze karshapana from a western peninsular janapada is a distinctly local instrument, reflecting markets where silver coinage had less penetration.
The two-century date range assigned to this piece reflects genuine scholarly uncertainty; attributing these regional bronzes precisely remains difficult given limited stratified excavation data from Saurashtra sites.