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Indian Karshapana of Visvasena

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Basic Information

Accession Number:1999C4
Collection:Antiquities - Ancient & Mediaeval Coins
Date:300 AD - 720 AD

Notes

This little silver coin was minted in Gujerat in India in about 300-720 AD. The reverse is completely Indian, with lettering in a script called Brahmi and a Buddhist symbol representing a hill. However the portrait on the obverse derives from coins issued about 500 years earlier by Greek kings who ruled in Afghanistan and the Punjab. These kingdoms were founded by Greeks left behind as settlers by Alexander the Great when he conquered the area. They survived into the first century BC.

Purchased from A H Baldwin and Sons Ltd.

Further Information

Reign:King Visvasena
Material(s):Silver
Denomination:Karshapana
Currency:India
Place of Origin:Gujerat, India

Associated People

Associated Places

Dimensions

Diameter:14 mm