Watch List notes:

INDIA, Pre-Mauyran (Ganges Valley). Magadha Janapada. 6th-5th century BC. 25 Mashas (Silver, 23.5 mm, 5.95 g). Four official punches: central 6-armed Magadha imperial symbol, sun symbol, triangle with 3 pellets, and lattice symbol and a few banker's marks. Rev. Bankers' marks, including an anthromorphic symbol. Gupta & Hardaker, Punchmarked Coinage of the Indian Subcontinent, p. 84, 019. Extremely rare. Minor marks and with light deposits, otherwise, very fine.


This coin is one of the earliest issues of Magadha. At a standard weight of 5.45, the denomination of 25 mashas was considerably heavier than the later 3.49 g karshapana.