This is a recent purchase & I really know very little about the coin. I saw ancientnoob struggling to select one of these pieces from a reputable dealer. After he made his selection, I swooped-in & bought the other one. This is it: INDIA, Shakya AR 5 Shana ca. 600-500 B.C. Buddha Coin 6.71 gms, 26 mm x 19.5 mm Obv: One pellet around a central pentagon, ten secondary punches on rectangular planchet Rev: Blank pattern from multiple anvil strikes Grade: Essentially as made. Obverse silver is bright and beginning to re-tone. Other: Minted & circulated by the Indian prince who is the prophet Budha. From Warden Numismatics September 2013. The reverse is essentially blank. I did show the coin to another dealer & he explained that it is an example of how coins have been independently invented in various places around the world at various times. The ancient Greek coins were invented & made by the striking process without much care given to round shape or stacking. The China coin invention used a casting process and included a hole for stringing. The folks in the Himalayan Mountains invented their strips of metal with punch marks. This is supposedly one of those punch mark coins. It's pretty IMO. Ancientnoob informs that this silver 5 Shana coin was in circulation during the time that prince Buddha was around. Perhaps I should have posted it in the A-Z thread when we were at "B". BTW, Shakya was located in the area that is present day Nepal. I've met a couple travelers that were from Nepal but I have never been there.
Since Anoob posted one of these it's made my radar hum. Not to be mine any time soon, but someday... Congrats on your purchase!
Wow, nice addition & something I know nothing of either. Slap a female on it then maybe I would learn more, lol.
Wow small!!! but nice 89! must been fun trying to strike this coin. I hope it was not hand held to strike it
Ancientnoob had provided these links describing these crude punch-marked coins from the India-Nepal border area. These two links depict some really pretty coins. http://www.coinindia.com/galleries-shakya.html http://www.numismall.com/acc/Shakya-Janapada-600-400-BC-homeland-of-Buddha-c-11478/ BTW, These linked coins have prices that are much higher than I paid.
I wonder what a silver 5 Shana piece weighing 6.71 grams would get you in 600 B.C. Nepal. I suspect that having only one coin like this could get you killed. You would not be part of the uber-rich and you would not be part of the uber-poor.
Yah, you're right .... it's kinda like a kid taking a twenty dollar bill to school ... => chances are very good that he'll come home with grass-stains, a black-eye and zero-change in his lunch-kit!!
C89, great lookin' coin or money, i think you should keep an eye on that Noob guy, he'll have you buying all kind of different kinds of coins...
I think if you photograph the back of the coin and the side of the coin if will provide tremendous visual information about the coin. India, Janapada, Shakya Republic Anonymous ( c. 600-500 BC) Lifetime and Homeland of Gautama Buddha. AR Archaic 5 Shana 30.4 mm x 14.6 mm x 6.79 g Unifaced: Primary Punch- Two Crescents (one with a root) Five secondary punch marks. Note: Cupric Deposit on reverse. ref: Rajgor 534
