75 BC RR AE 1/4 Karshapana, Sunga Kingdom (187-75 BC), Ancient India - Elephant RIGHT

Elephant right / Three-arched hill (chaitya) with crescent. 14mm, 1.80 grams. Mitchiner -; Pieper 324.

It shows an elephant walking right. These are very rare.

This type with elephant facing right (instead of the usual left) is known only from a single example, published in Bopearachchi (#15) as a unique coin. Unlisted in Mitchener, but listed in Pieper (2021).

The Sunga Kingdom (c. 185–73 BC) was an ancient Indian dynasty that succeeded the Maurya Empire in northern and central India. It was founded by Pushyamitra Sunga, a former Mauryan general who overthrew the last Mauryan ruler, Brihadratha. The Sungas ruled from their capital at Pataliputra and worked to maintain control over the Gangetic plain while resisting incursions by the Indo-Greeks. Although often associated with a revival of Brahmanical traditions, the period also saw continued Buddhist activity and significant artistic development, including the enlargement of Buddhist monuments such as Sanchi Stupa. The dynasty gradually weakened and was eventually replaced by the Kanva dynasty around 73 BC, but it played an important role in preserving political continuity in northern India after the fall of the Mauryas.

Verzendkosten