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Karshapana - Maurya-Sunga Period
| Issuer | Shunga Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 185 BC - 73 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Karshapana (185 BC to 73 BC) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A stylised tree motif is depicted in the central field, rendered in low cast relief with a central upright trunk from which multiple spreading branches radiate outward, occupying the majority of the flan. The branches terminate in rounded foliate forms suggestive of a broad-canopied tree, consistent with the sacred tree or bodhi tree iconography commonly employed on Shunga-period copper coinage. The field is plain with no surrounding legend or inscription. The irregular flan contour and slightly uneven surface are consistent with the cast production technique of this series. |
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| Mintage | ND (185 BC - 73 BC) |
| Additional information |
The Shungas came to power when Pushyamitra Shunga, commander-in-chief of the Mauryan army, assassinated the last Mauryan emperor Brihadratha around 185 BC. The dynasty inherited Mauryan administrative structures largely intact, and coinage continued with minimal interruption — which is precisely why attribution between late Mauryan and early Shunga copper issues remains genuinely contested among specialists. Mitchiner's grouping acknowledges this ambiguity rather than resolving it.
Punch-marked copper at this weight class circulated as the lowest practical denomination, handling transactions the silver karshapana couldn't reach.