
A single punchmark in shape of a double axe with two tourine symbols and a dot above // Blank. 4mm, 0.13 grams. Terry Hardaker "The Mashaka Fractional Coinage of Ancient India" Group D #29 var (slightly different design).
Rare early silver type.
These tiny mashakas (or, more correctly, mashas), were minted during the late Magadha/early Mauryan period in northern India. They were first discovered and published in 1924, but escaped much attention from numismatists, with a notable exception of Terry Hardaker's "The Mashaka Fractional Coinage of Ancient India" which he published in 1999. They were probably worth 1/16th of a silver karshapana and numerous different types were minted using the normal punch technique. The coins are poorly understood, and only a few types are published.