During the
Mauryan period, punch marked coins continued to be issued in large quantities, these are a continuation of the
Magadha Kingdom coinage as the ruling house of this empires established the
Mauryan Empire. They contained on average 50-54 grains of silver in each coin depending on wear and 32
rattis in weight Manu smruti, and earlier coins are flatter than later coins. Punches on these coins count to 450 with the most common the
sun and six-armed symbols, and various forms of geometrical patterns, circles, wheels, human figures, various animals, bows and arrows, hills and trees etc. Many are barly discernible for what they could be.The basic coin is called the Karshapana (
pana) in
numismatic terms but the
Arthasastra stated there are at least 4 denominations of silver coins in pana, ardhapana (half pana), pada (quarter pana) and ashta-bhaga, or arshapadika (one-eighth pana). But only the Karshapana is found. There is no issues found of the other denominations even though cut coins are found.
Copper coins are known but their provinences are not. They are cast and with images of a
hill or
mountain,
crescent moon,
cross,
swastika and various animals
.
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