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1/10 Gold Unit
| Issuer | Beikthano Kingdom (Pyu city-states) |
|---|---|
| Year | 300-700 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Stylized rising sun motif displaying six radiating rays arranged symmetrically, contained within a beaded or dotted border. A single pellet is placed centrally within the solar disc, interpreted numismatically as a representation of the third eye of Shiva, reflecting the syncretic Hindu-Buddhist religious iconography prevalent among the Pyu. The overall design is executed in bold, primitive relief typical of hammered gold coinage of the period. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Pyu city-states of upper Burma produced some of the earliest coinage in Southeast Asia, and Beikthano — occupied roughly from the 1st century BCE through the mid-first millennium CE — sits among the oldest of those urban centers. These fractional gold pieces circulated within a trading network that connected the Irrawaddy valley to Indian Ocean commerce, with strong Indic monetary influence visible in the unit system itself. Archaeological recovery at Beikthano has been limited, and most examples surface without stratified context, making precise dating within the four-century attribution window genuinely difficult.