Karshapana

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.