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1/2 Karshapana - Saurasena Janapada
| Issuer | Surasena Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 300 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain, uninscribed reverse with a smooth to lightly textured flat surface, showing no deliberate punch-marked devices. The irregular rectangular flan edges are visible, characteristic of the cut-silver technique employed by the Saurasena janapada. The surface retains natural die-flow marks consistent with hand-hammered production methods. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Surasena janapada, centered on Mathura along the Yamuna, was among the sixteen mahajanapadas documented in early Buddhist and Jain texts. By the time this fractional piece was struck, the kingdom was already losing political ground to the expanding Magadha empire under the Nanda dynasty. Punch-marked silver of this region is notoriously difficult to attribute with precision — the punches themselves, applied by hammer across a cut blank, were used by multiple issuing authorities and frequently reused across generations.