INDIA, punchmarked silver coins.
    Early Indian coins were not struck with dies, but rather with several different punches.  The chronology and attribution of these things, especially the early ones, is in flux these days, and has been for several decades.  Current thinking is that they began around 650 BC in Punjab region at a time when city-states were beginning to become organized out of post-Indus anarchy or whatever was going on.  Perhaps the very first ones were made by "private" banking houses.  Around 500 BC a struggle for supremacy began amongst the city-states, Magadha eventually becoming dominant, then eliminating the others.  Just before the Greek invasion a large expansion of the Magadha realm transformed that kingdom into the Mauryan empire, which at its height covered all of northern and central India and the eastern half of Pakistan.

TAXILA-GANDHARA, c. 450 BC, silver punchmarked "bent bar" satamana, MA-4071+,  ~11.4g, long & thin, VF $110.00 sold 4/7/2008
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273-29. TAXILA-GANDHARA, c. 450 BC, silver punchmarked "bent bar" satamana, MA-4071+, ~11.4g, countermark in central field, aVF $110.00 sold 11/12/2009
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TAXILA-GANDHARA, c. 450 BC, silver punchmarked "bent bar" satamana, MA-4071+,  ~11.4g, long & thin, countermarks in central field,  VF $110.00 sold 8/6/2009
Click picture for enlargement.  ALL OF THESE LONG SKINNIES ARE SOLD BUT I HAVE SOME MORE.  ASK FOR PICTURES.
 
 
 
 
 

277-71. TAXILA-GANDHARA, c. 450 BC, billon punchmarked "bent bar" satamana, MA-4070v, thick & dumpy, F $55.00 sold 8/6/2009
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PBB13) TAXILA-GANDHARA, c. 450 BC, billon punchmarked "bent bar" satamana, MA-4070v, F $38.00
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PBB9) PAKISTAN, c. 450 BC, billon punchmarked "bent bar," possibly formerly plated, crude VG @ $38.00 each sold 11/9/08
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TAXILA-GANDHARA, c. 450 BC, billon scyphate 1/8 satamana, MA-4079+,  ~1.4g, VF $33.00 sold
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TAXILA-GANDHARA, c. 450 BC, silver-billon scyphate 1/8 satamana, fractional to the bent bars, MA-4079+ ~1.4g, horn silver, F $28.00 sold 2/13/2008
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TAXILA-GANDHARA, c. 450 BC, billon scyphate 1/16 satamana, MA-4079v, 1.1g, porous, VG $33.00
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MAGADHA, Nanda dynasty, c. 370-320 BC, silver karshapana, GH series IVd, #418, F $22.00 sold
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MAURYA, time of Chandragupta & Bindusara, c. 320-270 BC, silver karshapana, GH series Va, #502, aF $9.00 sold 8/6/2009
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MAURYA, time of Chandragupta & Bindusara, c. 320-270 BC, silver karshapana, GH series Va, #506, VF $31.00
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MAURYA, time of Chandragupta & Bindusara, c. 320-270 BC, silver karshapana, G-H series VIa, traces of plating on base core, 3.0g, G $7.50
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MAURYA, time of Chandragupta & Bindusara, c. 320-270 BC, silver karshapana, G-H series VIa, ~3.5g, VG $8.00 sold
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MAURYA, time of Chandragupta & Bindusara, c. 320-270 BC, silver karshapana, G-H series VIa, ~3.5g, VG 8.00 sold
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MAURYA-SUNGA, time of Ashoka and suc., 270-175~150 BC, silver karshapana, GH series VIb, #543, great looking VF $18.00 sold
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MAURYA-SUNGA, time of Ashoka and suc., 270-175~150 BC, silver karshapana, GH series VIb, #543, F $9.00 sold
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MAURYA-SUNGA, time of Ashoka and suc., 270-175~150 BC, silver karshapana, G-H series VIb, #546?, base, VG $8.00
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MAURYA-SUNGA, time of Ashoka and suc., 270-175~150 BC, silver karshapana, GH series VIb, #550, VG $8.50
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MAURYA-SUNGA, time of Ashoka and suc., 270-175~150 BC, silver karshapana, GH series VIb, #558, VG $8.50
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MAURYA-SUNGA, time of Ashoka and suc., 270-175~150 BC, silver karshapana, GH series VIb, #571, a little base, F $9.50 sold 2/13/2008
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MAURYA-SUNGA, time of Ashoka and suc., 270-175~150 BC, GH series VIb, GH series VIb, #574, VF $16.00
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225-26. MAURYAN, c. 180-150 BC, punchmarked silver karshapanas, unidentified,
G/+ $9.00
picture is just a handful out of the bag.
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SUNGA or later, c. 150-1 BC, copper karshapana, imitation of GH-543.  Mitchiner & Gupta-Hardaker agree that these are from Avanti/Vidisa in central India.  This piece 1 of 2 AE in a mass of AR from Swat, NWF, Pakistan,  nice aVF $33.00
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MAURYA, 321-187 BC, silver rati or vimsatika, really tiny coins - 4-5mm, with a version of the dynastic symbol and blank reverse, VG $10.00, F $13.00
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These teenyweenies are from early Mauryan times before they decided to go with cast copper for their minors.  G-H wrote a book on them, evidently there are many varieties.  I neglected to purchase a copy.  This type is the only common one as far as I know.  (Recently someone suggested that the cast coppers actually predate these!)
 
 
 
 

MAURYA-SUNGA, c. 200 BC, 15mm square cast copper, MA-4287, elephant / tree, etc., usually these are corroded, this one is nice, F $18.00 sold
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Numerous other punchmarked coins, including wholesale lots, in the regular inventory (scroll down when you get there) or search "karsha"
 

Archive of sold items

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