Post-Mauryan coinage of Gandhara

Punch-marked coinage 600–300 BCE. This coinage was minted under Achaemenid administration in Gandhara. These political changes were accompanied by technological changes in coin production techniques. Before the collapse of the Maurya Empire, the main type of coinage was punch-marked coins. After manufacturing a sheet of silver or silver alloys, coins were cut out to the proper weight, and then impressed by small punch-dies. Typically from 5 to 10 punch dies could be impressed on one coin. Each individual coins was first cast by pouring a molten metal, usually copper or silver, into a cavity formed by two molds. These were then usually die-struck while still hot, first on just one side, and then on the two sides at a later period. The coin devices are Indian, but it is thought that this coin technology was introduced from the West, possibly from the neighboring Greco-Bactrian kingdom. ==Coin types==

Single-die coins The most ancient of the coins are those that were die-cast on one side only, the other side remaining blank. Some of these coins were created before the Indo-Greek invasions (dated to circa 185 BCE, start of the Yavana era), while most of the others were created later. These coins incorporate a number of symbols, in a way which is very reminiscent of the previous punch-marked coins, except that this time the technology used was cast single die-struck coinage. Single-die coins before Indo-Greek invasions (220-185 BCE) File:Taxila (local coinage). Circa 220-185 BC Column and Hill.jpg|Taxila single-dye local coinage. Column and arched-hill symbol (220-185 BCE). File:Taxila (local coinage) Circa 220-185 BC Karshapana.jpg|Taxila single-dye local coinage. Pile of stones, hill, river and Swastika (220-185 BCE). Taxila (local coinage). Circa 220-185 BC. Hill and River.jpg|Taxila single-dye coin. Pile of stones, hill, river and unknown symbols (220-185 BCE). File:Taxila (local coinage). Circa 220-185 BC.jpg|Taxila local single-dye coinage (220-185 BCE). File:Taxila (local coinage). Circa 185-168 BC.Hill and Tree.jpg|Taxila coin with hill and tree-in-railing (185-168 BCE). File:Taxila single dye coin.jpg|Taxila single-dye coin with Lakshmi and arched-hill symbol (185-160 BCE). File:Taxila single die coin with bull.jpg|Taxila single dye coin with bull and arched-hill symbol (185-168 BCE). File:Taxila (local coinage). Circa 185-168 BC Karshapana.jpg|Taxila coin (185-168 BCE). File:TaxilaCoin200-100BCE.JPG|Taxila coin. File:TaxilaCoinBM.JPG|Taxila coin.ye Double-d coins (185 BCE onward) symbol on a Taxila coin, 185-168 BCE (detail). Progressively, after 185 BCE and the Greek invasion, coins were cast on both sides. File:Taxila (local coinage) Circa 180-160 BC Half Karshapana.jpg|Taxila coin, with hill, empty cross and palmette (180-160 BCE). Animal designs Indo-Greek influence in the portrayal of the animal has been claimed, especially regarding the horses and lions of the Gandharan coins, which are said to be "distinctly Greek in style". The horse is generally shown with the specific symbol of a star. This design can be found in Greek coinage, such as that of Ophellas, a former officer of Alexander, as governor in Cyrene, North Africa. File:Taxila Post Mauryan local coinage Circa 185-168 BC.jpg|Taxila coin, elephant with arched-hill symbol (185-168 BCE). File:Taxila (local coinage). Circa 185-168 BC. Elephant and Horse.jpg|Taxila coin with elephant and horse under star (185-168 BCE). File:Taxila coin brown.jpg|Taxila double-dye coin (185-168 BCE). File:Taxila coin.jpg|Taxila coin with elephant and lion (185-168 BCE) File:Taxila coin with horse and facing elephant.jpg|Taxila coin with horse and facing elephant (185-160 BCE). File:Taxila (local coinage). Circa 185-168 BC Elephant and Horse.jpg|Taxila coin with elephant and horse (185-168 BCE) File:Taxila (local coinage). 185-168 BC. Elephant Plant and Horse.jpg|Pushkalavati coin with elephant and horse (185-168 BCE) File:Taxila gold coin 185-170 BC.jpg|Taxila gold coin (185-170 BCE). Anthropomorphic or textual designs File:Taxila (local coinage). Circa 185-168 BC.jpg|Demon with arched-hill symbol on top of the head, plant. (185-160 BCE). File:Taxila (local coinage). Circa 185-168 BC Demon and plant.jpg|Taxila coin with demon and plant. (185-168 BCE). File:Taxila local coinage. Circa 185-168 BC. A (20mm, 3.94 g, 6h). Negamaa in Brahmi Reverse Dojaka in Brahmi.jpg|Taxila coin. Obverse: Negamā in Brahmi. Reverse Dojaka in Brahmi. (185-168 BC) Later, humped or elephant images are known from Ayodhya, Kausambi, Panchala and Mathura. The coins of Ayodhia generally have a humped bull on the reverse, while the coins of Kausambi display a tree with railing. ==Indian-standard coinage of the Greeks (185 BCE onward)==

used Indian symbols. These coins associated the elephant with the Buddhist Chaitya or arched-hill symbol, sun symbols, six-armed symbol, and a river. The bull had a Nandipada in front. The symbol at the top of the bull is only a mint mark. These symbols disappeared soon after, and only the elephant and the bull remained. The Indo-Greeks, following their invasion of the Indian subcontinent circa 185 BCE, in turn started to mint their own coins in the Indian standard (Indian weight, square shape, and less often round shape) with bilingual inscriptions, from the reign of Agathocles (190-180 BCE). Symbolism In addition to their own Attic coins, Greek kings thus started to issue bilingual Greek-Prakrit coins in the Indian standard, often taking over numerous symbols of the Post-Mauryan Gandhara coins, such as the arched-hill symbol and the tree-in-railing or Goddess Lakshmi at the beginning, and depictions of the bull and elephant later. Legends Several coins of king Agathocles use the Kharoshthi legend Akathukreyasa "Agathocles" on the obverse, and Hirañasame on the reverse (as one of the known coins of Taxila above). Hirañasame would mean "The Golden Hermitage", an area of Taxila (preferred interpretation), or if read 'Hitajasame would mean "Good-fame possessing", a direct translation of "Agathokles" File:Pantaleon with Lakshmi and Lion.jpg|Coinage of Pantaleon with dancing woman (Lakshmi?) and lion. File:Agatocles Chaitya.jpg|Coin of Agathocles. Obv Six-arched hill symbol with star on top, Kharoshthi legend Akathukreyasa "Agathocles". Rev Tree-in-railing and legend Hirañasame. Indo-Greek coinage in Gandhara would continue for nearly two centuries, until it was taken over by the coinage of the Indo-Scythians, the Indo-Parthians and the Yuezhi (future Kushans). ==See also==