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!
Potin Unit - Nahapana
| Issuer | Western Satraps (Indo-Scythian Kingdom) |
|---|---|
| Year | 50-100 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Drachm (35-405) |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| 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 | Obverse depicts a thunderbolt symbol positioned above a walking elephant in profile, with an arrow placed in front of the elephant. A Brahmi legend encircles or accompanies the design, reading rajno ksatrapasa Nahapanasa, identifying the issuer as the Kshatrapa (Satrap) Nahapana. The design elements are rendered in the schematic, somewhat coarse style characteristic of Western Satrap potin issues, with the elephant serving as a prominent dynastic and Buddhist symbol. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 𑀭𑀚𑁆𑀦𑁄 𑀓𑁆𑀱𑀢𑁆𑀭𑀧𑀲 𑀦𑀳𑀧𑀦𑀲 |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Nahapana was among the most powerful of the Western Satrap rulers, controlling large territories across Saurashtra and Malwa in the first century CE — until his decisive defeat by the Sātavāhana emperor Gautamiputra Satakarni, who subsequently restruck thousands of Nahapana's silver coins with his own types. That systematic demonetization makes surviving Nahapana issues in any metal historically charged objects. The potin unit occupied the low end of the denomination hierarchy and would have seen hard daily use in local markets, which is precisely why examples in decent condition are scarcer than the silver coinage.