2017-12-29 Fri

Taxila (Takshashila) was an ancient city and the dates go back to 1000 BCE.
Taxila (present day in Pakistan) was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. It was a centre of learning and had one of the earliest universities in the world. The ancient and most revered scriptures, like eighteen Shilpas (Arts), which included skills such as archery, hunting and elephant lore, were taught in Taxila’s University. Students came from different corners of India to learn and master their knowledge in different fields.

Taxila fell into the hands of various rulers and they issued coins. The coin in the image belongs to a local ruler of Post Mauryan period. It is a Copper Punch marked karshapana weighing around 10.86 grams. The obverse of the coin depicts a lion to left with a three-arched hill in front and swastika above. The reverse has an elephant to right with a three-arched hill above.

This tiny rectangular copper piece was sold for INR 4,000 at Todywalla Auctions. Explore Taxila coinage on our website.