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Karshapana of Magadha

346–321 BCE　・　silver　・　4th century BC　・　Kingdom of Magadha

Karshapana of Magadha（obverse）Karshapana of Magadha（reverse）
Jean-Michel Moullec from Vern sur Seiche (35, Bretagne), France / CC BY 2.0（Wikimedia Commons）

A Karshapana from the Kingdom of Magadha. The source attributes its issue to King Mahapadma Nanda or his sons, dating it to 346–321 BCE. Its dimensions are 17 mm and it weighs 2.5 grams. The obverse has several punch marks; among the marks on the reverse is an elephant. This is the silver of a kingdom that controlled the granary of the middle Ganges. Along the trade routes where this silver circulated, the Mauryan dynasty would eventually unify most of the subcontinent.

Diameter 17mm