Punch-marked coins from ancient India began to be made in the sixth century BC. Made of silver, punch-marked coinage represents some of the oldest numismatic collectibles in the marketplace. Some of these coins, which are usually called “punch-marked” or karshapana coins (after their monetary denomination), are relatively pricey. But there are countless beautiful examples of authentic punch-marks that are very affordable. The only trick is to find them before other buyers do.
Punch-marked coins of ancient India are a great investment and are fascinating items in and of themselves. The cost of a given karshapana coin is quickly proven to be worth it. Every coin collector knows the deep satisfaction of flipping his or her album open to that special page and gazing at that centuries-old coin. This is a real currency piece from the subcontinent; it’s here, right in front of you. A physical connection to the distant past!
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About Punch-Marked Coins
Indian punch-marked coins, by their nature, are irregularly-shaped, often squarish, but precisely weighted. Rather than sporting faces with designs in the traditional numismatic sense, these coins were blobs of silver stamped or “punched” with one or more simple shapes. You can find karshapana coins with religious swastikas, animals, trees, geometric shapes, etc. A great idea for a karshapana collection is to try to secure as many different punches as you can. Even more interestingly, different geographical areas tended to use different symbols for their punch-marks. You can travel around the ancient area via your coin collection.
Punch-marked coins stopped being produced in the 100s BC.
Buyer beware: Some sellers use the shorter word karshapan in their sales listings. Be sure if doing a search that you look for all such varieties so you don’t miss out on a great coin at a great price.
Browse 68 current Punch-marked karshapana coins for sale offers here
In south India punch-marked coins proved particularly popular. Later states, such as the Maurya Empire which stretched over most of the modern subcontinent, made extensive use of their own punch-marked coins.
Interesting historical footnote: The English word “cash” is derived from “karsha”, by way of Tamil and then Portuguese.
About Buying Punch-Marked Coins Online
The world of karshapana coin collecting can be as involved as you want it to be. The coins are pretty easy to find for sale. Look through online sales listings to see what coins are available now. The selection online changes constantly and there are always new karshapanas, calling your name and hoping for good spots in your collection.
Start looking for these great coins and you could find yourself agreeing with what many other collectors have discovered: punch-marked coins may very well be the most fun coins in the world to collect!
