Mauryan Empire AR Karshapana, Taxila symbol, 4th-2nd century BC

Mauryan Empire, AR Karshapana, silver, 4th–2nd century BC; 3.43 g; 22 mm. Uncertain mint. Anepigraphic. Obverse with multiple punches including three separate anthropomorphic figures and an elephant, with ancillary small symbols. Reverse anepigraphic bearing the Taxila symbol punch. Rectangular flan; punch-marked manufacture typical of the series, with irregular edges and scattered deposits from burial. Reference: Gupta & Hardaker 586. Rare. Karshapanas formed the standard silver currency of the Mauryan state on the Magadhan 8‑rati standard (about 3.3–3.5 g). Their groups of official symbols, rather than legends, record administrative control and circulation. The Taxila symbol associates this piece with the northwestern Mauryan zone centered on Taxila, a key hub on the Uttarapatha trade route that connected the Gangetic plain with Gandhara and Hellenistic markets, reflecting the empire’s integrated fiscal and commercial system from the 4th to 2nd century BC.