Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Imperial Magadha
Late Dynasties
Karshapana
摩揭陀帝國
晚期諸王朝
嘎夏巴涅
Item number: A1572
Year: 232-100 BC
Material: Silver
Size: 13.0 x 10.4 x 2.5 mm
Weight: 3.45 g
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2015
This is a Karshapana, a type of punch-marked coin that likely originates from the late kingdoms of Magadha, such as the Maurya and Shunga dynasties. In Hindi, the term “Karsha” refers to its standardised weight (though not strictly), where 1 “Karsha” is approximately 54 grains (3.50 grams), and “pana” is a general term for coin.
Karshapana coins were made from materials including gold, silver, and copper, with the silver coins primarily composed of silver mixed with metals such as copper, tin, and lead. The shapes of these coins were often irregular, either rectangular or circular. Generally, earlier Karshapanas tended to be closer to a circular form, whereas later ones became more rectangular, which may be related to the advancement in the techniques of minting and metal smelting. The number of motifs on these coins ranged from one to six, and the subjects of these motifs included the sun, moon, landscapes, animals, human figures, and abstract geometric shapes. These symbols might have religious significance, could represent rulers, or serve to denote denominations, with scholars differing in opinion. Only the Karshapanas from the reign of Ashoka (Maurya Dynasty) clearly reflect Buddhist motifs, such as the Buddha and the Bodhi tree. Karshapanas were widely circulated throughout the Indian subcontinent, with the earliest known examples dating back to the BC 6th century, though their actual use might predate this. Minting of these coins likely ceased around the 1st century BC, when they were replaced by Greek-influenced circular coins.
The obverse of this silver coin displays four to five motifs. The most distinguishable are an elephant at the bottom left and a sun wheel at the top right. The remaining regions can be loosely interpreted as featuring a rhinoceros (bottom right) and a dog (top left), with a possibly indistinct mark between the sun wheel and the dog, disrupting the outline of the design. The sun wheel motif remained a prominent feature of Karshapanas throughout their usage history, spanning from the 6th century BC to the 1st century BC, with a gradual decline in frequency after the reign of Ashoka. Another motif that was commonly seen is the six-armed symbol, although it is not identifiable on this particular coin. Scholars have varying interpretations of the meaning of these symbols.
The reverse of the coin bears a shallower impression, which is a security feature added by the rulers of Magadha during the period of increasing central administrative power. This shallower impression was designed to prevent local goldsmiths or coin merchants from intentionally wearing down the coins to profit from the difference between the value of the precious metals and the coin’s denomination. The origin of this impression could be from the reverse die or simply be a scratch.
The irregular corrosion on the sides of the coin suggests that it underwent multiple re-smeltings, likely due to prolonged circulation or possibly changes in political power.
To study ancient Indian history before the Anno Domini, one must turn to texts such as the Vedas, Puranas, and various Buddhist scriptures, as historical facts are often intertwined with religious mythology, making dating challenging. However, through a thorough review of the literature, it is generally accepted that the history of Magadha dates back to the 6th century BC, when it was one of the sixteen major kingdoms of the Mahajanapada period in the Indus-Ganga Plain. Following the expansion of successive dynasties such as Haryanka, Shishunaga, Nanda, and Maurya, Magadha eventually unified most of present-day India. After the reign of Ashoka, the empire weakened, and the territory once controlled by the empire was divided among several smaller kingdoms.
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