Punchmark (6-armed Gandharan symbol with a dot between two of the arms) // Blank. 11mm, 0.49 grams. Rajgor 579 var.

The small 1/16th shatamana (1/2 shana) is much scarcer than the 1/8th shatamana pieces. They were usually very carelessly struck, with extensive flat areas. Well-struck pieces like this one are rare.

Gandhara Janapada was one of the 16 Janapadas mentioned in the Buddhist chronicles. It was a subject of the Achaemenid Empire during the reign of Darius in the late 6th century BC, and was the birthplace of the first Indian coins. Flourishing during the first millennium BC, Gandhara became a major center of trade, culture, and learning, with cities such as Taxila renowned throughout South Asia. Owing to its strategic position between India, Central Asia, and Persia, Gandhara absorbed diverse cultural influences and later became famous for its distinctive Greco-Buddhist art.