Saurashtra die struck coins



Artist/Creator/Designer: Ancient India

Category: Evolution of Coin Design in India

Period:  (500-401) B.C.E

Media: Coin

Material: Silver

References: https://www.bombayauctions.com/viewlot.aspx?itemid=15348&auctionid=24&lotno=3


Detailed Description

Saurashtra Janapada coins are probably the earliest die-struck figurative coins from ancient India, dating from 450 to 300 BCE, and are also perhaps the earliest source of Hindu representational forms. Most coins from Surashtra are approximately 1 gramme in weight. Rajgor believes they are therefore quarter karshapanas of 8 rattis, or 0.93 gm. Mashakas of 2 rattis and double mashakas of 4 rattis are also known. The coins appear to be uniface in that there is a single die-struck symbol on one side. However, most of the coins appear to be overstruck over other Surashtra coins, and thus there is often the remnant of a previous symbol on the reverse, as well as sometimes under the obverse symbol as well. The Surashtra Janapada was located in modern Saurashtra, in the state of Gujarat. It is mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Indeed, the city of Dwarka, where Lord Krishna ruled, is in northern Saurashtra, although the Surashtra janapada may have been located only in the southern part of the peninsula. Most Surashtra coins are found in the south, in Junagadh district. Surashtra was absorbed into the Mauryan empire by Chandragupta Maurya.


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