Catalog
Æ Unit - Ancient Malwa Post-Mauryan
| Issuer | Bhadravati, City of |
|---|---|
| Year | 250 BC - 200 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Copper |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Irregular rectangular flan with a crudely rendered but iconographically significant scene in raised relief. To the left, a rearing or charging elephant is depicted in profile, its trunk raised and body rendered with characteristic Post-Mauryan stylization. To the right, a two-wheeled war chariot is shown in profile, with a charioteer or warrior figure visible above the wheel, which displays spoked detailing. Several pellet-like symbols or decorative elements are scattered in the upper field between the two main devices. The composition reflects the local artistic conventions of the Malwa region in the post-Mauryan period, combining military imagery typical of early Indian coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (250 BC - 200 BC) |
| Additional information |
Bhadravati's autonomous copper issues emerged in the political vacuum following Mauryan administrative retreat from the western Deccan fringe and Malwa, when local urban centers briefly asserted their own monetary authority before absorption into successive regional powers. These small units circulated in a window that was, by any measure, extremely short — the consolidation of the Satavahana sphere and the pressures of the Shungas to the north left little room for independent civic coinage in this region beyond the early second century BC.