Item number: A1369

Year: 322-184 BC

Material: Silver

Size: 15.5 x 12.4 mm

Weight: 3.1 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024

This is a silver coin known as a “Karshapana,” widely circulated during the Iron Age in India under the Maurya Empire, which dominated the South Asian subcontinent from 322 BC to 184 BC. The term Karshapana originates from an ancient Indian unit of weight, which later evolved into a monetary denomination. It was produced using one of the earliest coin-making techniques in India, where precious metals were hammered into strips and then cut into square or round silver blanks. These blanks were subsequently stamped manually with multiple symbols, resulting in what are known as punch-marked coins.

Due to its significant age, most of the punch marks on this coin have been worn away over time. However, a sun symbol, which holds important significance in both Hinduism and Buddhism, can still be faintly discerned in the lower right corner of the obverse. On the reverse, there appears to be a faint outline of a side-profile image, possibly depicting a figure with a high hair bun.

The Karshapana coins typically weigh around 3.3 g and often bear one to five punch marks on their surface. Common types of punch marks include: Animals (e.g., bull, elephant, turtle), Plants (e.g., palm tree, fig tree), Religious symbols (e.g., sun, mountain peaks), Everyday objects (e.g., plough, pots, scales) and Images of Hindu and Buddhist deities. The most common category are the geometric patterns of unknown meaning.

The Maurya Empire, founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BC, was the first unified state in Indian history. The most renowned ruler of the Maurya dynasty was Ashoka the Great, the grandson of Chandragupta. In the eighth year of his reign, Ashoka, horrified by the bloodshed caused during the conquest of Kalinga, became a devout supporter of Buddhism and played a key role in its spread and popularisation. However, after Ashoka’s death, the Maurya Empire entered a period of decline, eventually collapsing in 184 BC.

物件編號: A1369

年代: 公元前 322-184 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 15.5 x 12.4 mm

重量: 3.1 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2024

這是一個廣泛流通於印度的鐵器時代，即公元前322至184年間，雄霸於南亞次大陸的孔雀王朝所流通的「嘎夏巴涅」銀幣。嘎夏巴涅一詞源於古印度的重量單位後來延伸為貨幣單位，其採納印度最為原始的錢幣製造工法，將貴金屬敲打為條狀再裁剪為方形或圓形銀胚，後續再以人力打印戳記的「打印錢幣」。

由於年代久遠的緣故，打印於這枚錢幣上面的戳記多早已磨蝕殆盡。但是尚能勉強辨識出在正面的右下角，有一個在印度教和佛教中具有重要意涵的日輪符號。錢幣背面則有一個疑似有著高髮髻的側臉圖像。

嘎夏巴涅的重量大多落在3.3克左右，經常在表面打印一到五個左右的戳記。常見的戳記種類有：動物 (公牛、象、烏龜)、植物 (棕櫚樹、無花果樹)、宗教圖騰 (日輪、山峰) 、日用器具(鋤犁、鍋罐、天平) 還有印度教和佛教神明的圖案，以及最常見的意義不明的幾何圖形。

孔雀王朝是旃陀羅笈多在公元前322年打造的帝國，為印度歷史上第一個統一的政權。孔雀王朝最知名的統治者為旃陀羅笈多之孫阿育王，阿育王在位第八年之際，目睹征服羯陵伽帶來的殺戮後，開始大力供養佛教促成佛教的流行和推廣。然而孔雀王朝在阿育王駕崩後，帝國內部陷入衰敗，最終於公元前184年滅亡。