Potin unit - Kadambas of Banavasi

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.