Magadha Janapada silver punch-marked karshapana, c. 450–430 BC, 3.19 g

Magadha Janapada, punch-marked coin, silver, 450–430 BC, 3.19 g, 21 mm. Uncertain Magadha mint, Pre-Mauryan. Anepigraphic; the obverse carries several punches including a solar symbol (circle with radiating segments) accompanied by ancillary geometric/zoomorphic punches on an irregular square flan. The reverse bears a single indistinct punch with areas of adherent deposits. Produced by sequential punching on a cut silver flan, aligning with the Magadhan karshapana weight standard. Cf. Gupta & Hardaker, Punchmarked Coinage of the Indian Subcontinent (Magadha series); Rajgor, Punch-Marked Coins of Early Historic India; Mitchiner, Ancient and Classical World of Coins (Magadha punch-marked issues). This issue represents the early monetary system of the Gangetic plain before the Mauryan reforms. Magadha’s pre-Mauryan punch-marked coinage introduced standardized silver pieces of c. 3.3 g that circulated widely in northern India and facilitated regional trade and taxation. The multiple obverse punches denote authority and validation, while the single reverse punch reflects early local practice in the Magadhan series.