Perhaps some of the earliest known coins from India, these crude punch-marked coins were first found in the town of Narhan in modern-day Uttar Pradesh. The Shakya janapada (also called Vajji or Lichchavi janapada) was located on the Indo-Nepal border north of the modern town of Gorakhpur. Its capital was Kapilavastu. The birthplace of the Buddha, Lumbini, was ten miles east of Kapilavastu. The Buddha's father, Suddhodhana, was, according to Rajgor, the elected president of the Shakyas. Some of these coins may well have been minted during the time of the Buddha's life. The coins were probably made from thick sheets of silver, which were then cut down to size to attain the proper weight. Then a central punch was applied, rendering the coin somewhat scyphate in shape. Many of the coins bear a central pentagonal symbol, while others carry other geometric symbols. Some of the coins below also carry additional punches around the central symbol. In all probability, these were banker's marks. According to Rajgor, the Shakya coinage adhered to a shatamana standard of 100 rattis. The shatamana was divided into 8 shana. All the coins illustrated below would then be 5-shana (5/8 shatamana) pieces of 62.5 rattis (7.29 gm.) McIntyre asserts they are double karshapanas of 64 rattis (7.46 gm.); however, he reports a weight range of 6.96 gm. to 7.22 gm., which would place all of his coins neatly within the 5-shana weight. On the other hand, the karshapana might have weighed 3.43 gm, in which case the double karshapana would be 6.86 gm ... much closer to the weight of these coins.. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight:6.86 gm., 25 x 20 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight:7.00 gm., 34 x 16 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight:7.04 gm., 20 x 20 mm. Central pentagonal symbol with additional symbol to left/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight:7.13 gm., 27 x 15 mm. Central pentagonal symbol with two additional symbols/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight:6.96 gm., 25 x 23 mm. Central pentagonal symbol with two additional symbols / blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight:7.05 gm., 25 x 21 mm. Several punch-marked symbols with central pentagonal symbol/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight:6.99 gm., 27 x 21 mm. Several punch-marked symbols with central pentagonal symbol/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight:7.01 gm., 29 x 17 mm. Several punch-marked symbols with central geometric symbol/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 532-537. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight:6.99 gm., 22 x 20 mm. Several punch-marked symbols with central geometric symbol/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 532-537.

The previous group of 9 coins were purchased at auction in one group. The following 20 coins were acquired as a separate group and may constitute a hoard. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 7.00 gm., 25 x 23 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 6.99 gm., 21 x 30 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's mark/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 7.07 gm., 22 x 21 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's mark/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 6.99 gm., 20 x 23 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's mark/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 6.96 gm., 21 x 27 mm. Single geometric symbol plus banker's mark/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 7.10 gm., 20 x 23 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's mark/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 6.96 gm., 22 x 22 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's mark/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 6.96 gm., 24 x 32 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 6.98 gm., 24 x 23 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 6.91 gm., 19 x 23 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 6.99 gm., 19 x 35 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 6.80 gm., 22 x 28 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 7.14 gm., 18 x 37 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 6.97 gm., 18 x 41 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 7.11 gm., 15 x 30 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 7.14 gm., 20 x 25 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 7.01 gm., 25 x 21 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 7.09 gm., 25 x 24 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 7.03 gm., 25 x 30 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531. Silver 5-shana c. 600-450 BCE Weight: 7.08 gm., 21 x 23 mm. Single central pentagonal symbol plus banker's marks/ blank Ref: See Rajgor, 522-531.

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