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Potin unit - Kadambas of Banavasi
| Issuer | Kadamba Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 345-525 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.36 g |
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| Obverse description | A six-spoked chakra (wheel) rendered in raised relief at the center of the field, enclosed within a dotted border circle. The spokes radiate symmetrically from a central hub, with the surrounding dotted circle serving as both a decorative and structural border element. The overall design is characteristic of early Kadamba dynastic coinage from Banavasi, reflecting Buddhist and royal symbolism associated with the dharmachakra. The flan is irregular and slightly convex, consistent with cast potin production of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Reverse entirely blank, presenting a plain, unadorned field with no devices, inscriptions, or decorative elements. The surface retains the characteristic rough, porous texture typical of cast potin flans of the Kadamba period. Minor die flow and surface irregularities are visible, consistent with the primitive casting technology employed for these small-denomination issues. |
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| Additional information |
The Kadambas of Banavasi were among the earliest indigenous dynasties to emerge in the Deccan following the fragmentation of Satavahana power, ruling from their capital at Banavasi in present-day Karnataka. Their potin coinage — an alloy of copper, tin, and lead — follows a tradition rooted in the pre-Satavahana punch-marked and cast coin systems of the region, adapted by a dynasty asserting its own political identity while still navigating Gupta pressure from the north and Pallava rivalry from the south.
At 0.36 g, these are among the lightest potin units documented from any Deccan issuer, suggesting a highly localized circulation rather than interregional trade use.