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1 Karshapana
| Issuer | Mauryan Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 322 BC - 185 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.5 g |
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| Obverse description | Irregular flat silver flan bearing multiple punch-marked symbols arranged across the field, including what appear to be a sun symbol, an elephant, a hill or taurine motif, and additional geometric and symbolic devices characteristic of Mauryan imperial punch-marked coinage. Each symbol was applied individually by a separate punch die, resulting in a scattered arrangement across the surface. The symbols occupy the majority of the available field with no inscriptions or legends present. The style is consistent with the standardized royal punch-marked series issued during the Mauryan period. |
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| Mintage | ND (322 BC - 185 BC) |
| Additional information |
The karshapana predates the Mauryan dynasty itself — punch-marked silver coinage of this type circulated across the Indian subcontinent from at least the 6th century BC, making it among the earliest coined money in South Asia. The Mauryans inherited and standardized an existing monetary system rather than inventing one. Kautilya's Arthashastra, the administrative treatise attributed to Chandragupta's minister Chanakya, contains explicit regulations governing silver purity standards and the role of state assayers in detecting adulterated coins.