Lot 12

Ancient, Vanga Janapada, Punch Marked Coinage, Lower Ganga Delta Region, Mahasthangarh Series (c. 4th Century BC), Silver 1/2 Karshapana, 2.01 gms, 19.11 mm, Obverse: Four main punches of Six-arm, Sun, Bird and Taurine, Reverse: Uniface, Reference # Hardaker, Non-Imperial Series, BR15 pg. 258, extremely fine, extremely rare.

Vanga was an ancient janapada of high antiquity.  As per Rajgor (Pg. 29), the Vanga janapada is mentioned in Aitareya Aranyak, Baudhayana Dharmasutra, Panini’s Ashtadhyayi, the Bhagvata Purana and the Kavyamimansha. Going by the Magadhan Six-armed symbol and Sun symbol on this PMC series, Hardaker opines that these were perhaps issued by the Mahasthangarhregion as a vassal of the Magadhan state, which might have annexed the Vanga territory in course of its imperial expansion. Further, going by the proto-type Six-arm symbol, he suggests the time period of this series to overlap with the early expansion phase of Magadhan state i.emid 4th century BC. However, it is pertinent to mention that around 2.0 gm., this series may hardly be associated with Karshapana weight standard (as claimed in various publications viz. # Hardaker – 2019 Pg.256, # Rajgor Series 5, Pg. 31).  This coinage, in all likelihood pertains to a period when the coinage of 4.00 gm. wt std. (e.g. various issues of Kosala) and 2.00 gm. wt std. (e.g. issues of the Pauravas of Kaushambi) were being issued and hence, the coinage under reference, though having Magadhan influence, might be earlier that 4th century BC.