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1/2 Karshapana - Ujjain/Avanti Region
| Issuer | Ujjain region |
|---|---|
| Year | 200 BC - 100 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Karshapana |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A standing male figure, commonly identified as Shiva, depicted in frontal or three-quarter stance, holding a surya (solar) standard in the right hand; a tree-in-railing motif appears to the right of the figure. The style is characteristic of early Indian punch-marked and cast coinage of the Avanti region, rendered in low relief with schematic, archaic treatment of the human form. The coin surface exhibits heavy patination consistent with burial or long-term deposition. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears the Ujjayini symbol, a distinctive device associated with the ancient city of Ujjain (Ujjayini), consisting of a cross-like or wheel-like motif with four circles or pellets at the terminals, rendered in low relief. This symbol served as the principal civic and dynastic emblem of the Avanti region and appears consistently on coinage attributable to this mint area. The field is otherwise plain, and the coin edges are irregular, typical of cast or crudely struck copper issues of this period. |
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| Additional information |
Ujjain served as one of the most commercially active cities in ancient India during this period, positioned along trade routes connecting the Gangetic plains to the western ports. The Avanti region's punch-marked copper fractions circulated alongside silver karshapanas in local markets, filling a practical denominational gap that silver alone couldn't serve at the street level. Attribution to specific issuing authority within this region remains genuinely contested among scholars — ACR#271 places it in the Ujjain group, but the punch combinations overlap with neighboring Malwa issues in ways that resist clean classification.