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Repousse Punch Pagoda - Maraa Pathi Western Ganga Feudatories of the Rashtrakutas
| Issuer | Western Ganga Dynasty (Indian states) |
|---|---|
| Year | 900-1000 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 37.78 mm |
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| Obverse description | Nine individual punch impressions arranged across the flan in a repousse manner, each contained within a circular depression. The punches depict five elephants standing in profile facing right, rendered in a bold archaic style characteristic of South Indian dynastic coinage. Two 'Shri' auspicious symbols are present alongside a 'Maraa' and a 'Pathi' punch, together forming the royal name Shri Maraa Pathi. The central punch bears a prominent elephant motif, with the surrounding punches distributed symmetrically around the field. The overall composition reflects the multi-punch technique typical of early medieval Deccan gold pagodas. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain bracteate reverse, exhibiting the incuse mirror impressions of the obverse punch designs as a consequence of the repousse hammering technique. No intentional design, legend, or device was applied to this side; the flan surface is otherwise flat and unworked, consistent with bracteate coinage practice of the period. |
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| Additional information |
The Western Gangas of southern Karnataka operated as subordinate rulers under Rashtrakuta overlordship through much of the 9th and 10th centuries, though they maintained their own coinage traditions with remarkable independence of style. The repousse technique used on these pagodas — hammering the design from the reverse to create raised relief on the obverse — is a distinctly South Indian production method with roots predating the Ganga dynasty itself.
The "Maraa Pathi" attribution connects this piece to a specific dynastic epithet used by Ganga rulers, helping numismatists place issues within an otherwise poorly documented sequence.