Zoroastrianism and Fire Altar

 

Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and is one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Avesta and the prophet Zoroaster. In Zoroastrianism, the fire altar or fire temple (agiyari) is an important symbol. It represents the enduring energy of the creator and is the focus (not the object) of the prayer. Achaemenes founded the first Persian empire around 700 BC. Zoroaster probably lived about 100 years later.

                                       

 

Sasanian Empire, Drachm, Khusro I, 531-579 AD, Fire Altar 

 

Zoroastrian religion enters recorded history around the middle of the 6th century BC. For more than a millennium, between 600 BC and 650 AD, it served as the official religion of the ancient Iranian empires, beginning around the Achaemenid Empire, that was captured by Alexander and his successor Seleucus I Nicator founded the Seleucid dynasty around 300 BC. However, this was captured by the Parthians, who used the same Pahavi script. and claimed to be ascendents of the Achaemenids. The kingdom formally came to an end with the Muslim conquest of Persia. The fall of the Sasanian Empire and the persecution of Zoroastrians by the early Muslims culminated in the decline of the religion. Many Zoroastrians fled to the Indian subcontinent, where they were granted refuge by various kings. The majority today reside in India, Iran and North America.

The Fire Altar and Persia.

The kings of Persis are not well known, and nor is the order of succession. Their names appear quite differently depending on whether it is read in Greek or Persian. Often the two are equally valid as the Persian ruling class was Greek in origin during the Alexander and Seleucid period.

                                        

Hemi drachm of Darev II of Persis, 100 BC, silver, weight 2.2 gm, Obverse: Bust of bearded king left wearing Parthian style tiara ornamented with crescent and diadem, Reverse: King holding scepter over fire altar. The script is Aramaic.

                                            

Hemi drachm of Artaxerxes or Ardaser II of Persia, 50-1 BC, silver, weight 2.0 gm, Obverse: Bust of bearded king left wearing mural crown with battlements, Reverse: King standing left, holding scepter before lighted altar, Aramaic legend.

The Sassanian Empire.

The last king of Persis, Ardeshir revolted successfully against the Parthians and established the Sasanian empire, becoming Ardashir I. The name ''Sassanid'' or ''Sassanid'' was invented by later historians, based on the name of Ardashir's parental grandfather Sasan. Sasanian coins were distinctive, showing the royal hair dress on one side and a fire altar with attendants on the other side.

                                         

Silver Drachm of Sassanid Shapur 241-272 AD, weight 4.4 gm, Obverse: Bearded bust of Shapur I, right, wearing merlon crown with ear flaps and surmounted by globe, legend translated as ''The Mazdah'' worshipper, the divine Shapur, King of the Kings of Iran, heaven descended of the Gods, Reverse: Fire altar with two attendants dressed in kingly garb, facing outward, spear in outer hand, legend translated as ''The fire of Shapur''.

                                           

Silver Drachm of the Sassanid Shapur 309-379 AD, weight 3.9 gm, Obverse: Bearded bust of Shapur II, right wearing merlon crown surmounted by globe decorated with three lines and pellets, diadem ties behind crown, Reverse: Fire altar with two attendants dressed in kingly garb, facing inwards, short staff in both hands, bust of Ahuramazda right in flames above altar, Pahlavi script on altar. 

200 years after the last coin, the altar and attendants are becoming more stylized, and the king's portrait is also somewhat less realistic. The coins are thinner and have a wide rim which is less regular in outline. These were thin flan coins. 

                                        

Silver Drachm of the Sassanid Khusro 579 AD, weight 4.0 gm, Obverse: Facing bust head right wearing merlon crown with tassel to left and surmounted by crescent with three flames, inside single dotted border, crescents at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock, Reverse: Fire altar with two attendants standing facing wearing headgear, both hands on sword hilt, all inside single dotted border.

Kushan Shahs.

The Sassanid empire was large and powerful, and exercised its control through vassal states in Bactria and Gandhara, often referred to as Kushan Shahs. They were allowed their own coinage under Sassanid patronage. The coin below comes from Bactria, a mountainous area to the west of Gandhara, which now forms part of several countries, including Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, but mostly Tajikistan. It was struck for Peroz II. 

                                       

Bronze Drachm of Peroz II, 300-325 BC, weight 2.0 gm, Obverse: Pahlavi legend, bearded bust right wearing horned headdress, long ribbons flow upwards from the hair, behind, Reverse: Pahlavi legend. Fire altar with God arising from it, holding filleted diadem and scepter.

Nezak Huns

This interesting and elaborate design of the coin shown below, is minted in Kabul. It shows the king wearing a buffalo's head over a winged helm. The makers of these coins are referred to as Hunas, Indo-Hephthalites, Turco-Hephthalites, Nezak Huns or sometimes White Huns.

                                             

Billon Drachm, Nezak Malkas, 630-711 AD, weight 3.3 gm, Obverse: Pahlavi legend Nycky MLK, bust right wearing winged Buffalo crown, Reverse: Fire altar with attendants, wheel above each, control marks at left and right.

Kashmir Smast

In Gandhara, now north of Pakistan, is the Kashmir Smast, a network of caves which formed the center of an independent kingdom in the 4th to 8th centuries AD.  Many coins have been found here. These caves have not yet been fully explored.

                                         

Bronze quarter drachm from Kashmir Smast, 7th-8th century AD, weight 1 gm, Obverse: Nezas style bust right, wearing Hephthalite trident crown, military standard before face, Pahlavi letter and tamgha behind head, Reverse: Fire altar with attendants' wheel above each.

Turco-Hephthalite Countermarks

Some of the Sassanid coins were re-used by the Turco-Hephthalites. The Sassanid ruler Khusro II was very expansionist. He re-conquered most of the territory of the old Achaemenid empire. However, he was assassinated in 628 AD, and the empire never recovered. Coins of Khusro are easy to find, but the coin shown below is less common. It has a counter mark showing it was given the approval to be used as a currency.

                                         

Silver drachm of the Sassanid Khusro, 591-628 AD, with Turco-Hephthalite countermark dated 650-700 AD, weight 3.8 gm, Obverse: Facing bust, head right, wearing winged crown with star and crescent inside double dotted border, crescents with stars at 3,6 and 9 o'clock, Reverse: Fire altar with two attendants standing facing, both hands on sword hilt, crescents on heads, all inside triple dotted border, crescents with stars at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock.

Umayyad Caliphate.

The Sassanian empire fell to the Caliph Umar in the mid 7th century AD. The Zoroastrians were eventually accepted as ''People of the Book" and a policy of tolerance was applied. Though, inevitably, within a couple of centuries most Persians became Islamic. Tabaristan, now the province of Mazandaran in North Iran, remained independent of the Umayyads, and the mountain regions were independent for some while. But late, their successors, the Abbasid Caliphate controlled some areas. Here, below is a coin of an Abbasid Caliphate governor, Saíd bin Da'laj, struck by the Tabaristan mint.

                                           

Silver Hemi drachm of Said bin Dalaj, Tabaristan, 772-779 AD, weight 1.9 gm, Obverse: Crowned bust right, Reverse: Fire altar with attendants. 

Bukhara in Sogdiana, currently Uzbekistan

Sogdiana was rich in Persian cultural history, having been a province of Achaemenid Persia, and so the Tamgha chosen for the coins was a fire altar.

                                            

Bronze Abbasid Fals of Bukhara, 766 AD, weight 1.8 gm, Obverse: Horizontal Arabic script inside dotted circle, fire and altar tamgha below, script around the outside of the circle, Reverse: Horizontal Arabic script inside dotted circle. Star below, script around the outside of that circle.

Fire Altars in India

When the Umayyad Caliphate conquered Persia, many Zoroastrians fled, migrating to India and mostly reaching Gujarat. The coin below comes from Rajasthan, depicts a Sassanian style fire altar with attendants,

                                         

Silver drachm, Pratiharas, 780-980 AD, weight 3.6 gm, Obverse: Sassanian style bust, Reverse: Fire altar with two attendants.

The Buddhist Pala dynasty ruled Bengal in the 9th century. The coin below is much more stylized, and the design was much larger than the flan of the coin. The reverse is the left side of the fire altar, with one dot of flame visible.

                                         

Silver drachm Pala ruler, 853 AD, weight 4.0 gm, Obverse: stylized Sassanian bust, Reverse: Fire Altar.

The coin below is of the Saindhava dynasty, who were eventually conquered in 915 AD by the Abhiras dynasty, who owed their allegiance to the Pratiharas. The bust and fire altar are crudely done but styled differently. 

                                         

Silver drachm Saindhava, ruler of Saurashtra, 800-950 AD, weight 4.1 gm, Obverse: Stylized Sassanian style bust, Reverse: Fire altar, with part of an attendant visible to right.

The design of coins from Gujarat, below, is derived from the silver drachms of the Sassanian king Peroz, who's coins were brought to Northern India by the invading Huns in the 6th century AD.

                                           

Silver drachm (paisa, Gadhiya) of Chalukya of Gujarat, 900-950 AD, weight 4.1 gm, Circle lip type, Obverse: Stylized head of ruler, Reverse: Fire altar, sun (with rosette of dots) above left crescent moon above right.

The three-dimensional coin shown below, is much different from the flat thin Sassanian drachms. The design is so stylized here that one doesn't recognize the head and fire altar motifs. But the coin type over several hundred years remained consistent. 

                                             

Bronze Drachm of Vaghela of Gujarat, 1210-1300 AD, weight 4.6 gm, Obverse: Stylized head of ruler Reverse: Fire altar. 

The coin below, shows the purity of the design making way for something more informative. The curves to the left of the head are a Brahmi ''Ja'' symbol. To the right of the head, is an inverted triangle and another sun and moon symbol. The shaft of the fire altar on the reverse has ''Sri Omkara'' written on it, which indicates that it was minted at the Omkara Mandhata Monastery in Malwa. 

                          

Silver drachm of Paramaras of Malwa, 1150-1300 AD, weight 4.1 gm, Obverse: Degenerated Indo-Sasanian style bust, inverted triangle topped by sun and moon to right Brahmi letter ''ja'' in left field, Reverse: Crude fire altar with the legend Sri Omkara on shaft.

  

  

                                           
   

 

 
        

                                 

  

 

2300 Years Ago, Fashionable Hairstyles on Ancient Coins

 

Ancient coins show many interesting features, among the being what hairstyles were current when the coins were struck. Sometimes, these are formal styles deemed appropriate for the upper classes. Such styles demonstrated an adherence to tradition, and a steady approach. Some of the younger women are shown with very fashionable styles. Some examples seem designed to indicate a modest demeanor rather than represent reality. But these are far outweighed by hugely formal or outrageous fashionable concoctions. 

                                         

Denarius of Crispina, 178-182 AD, Rome mint, silver, weight 2.4 gm

Coins that show mythical figures or personifications show a different approach. Here, the styles might be hundreds of years old, or be types allied to a particular deity.

Let's take a look at the different hairstyles across 700 years of history. Starting with three older Greek coins

                                     

Aphrodite, with her hair in a bag. This bag called a saccos, could then be bound with a cord in various ways. The nearest to this you see these days is a big, knitted cap worn by some.

Bronze, Carthage, late 3rd century BC, weight 5.3 gm, Obverse: Head of Tanit left with wreath of grain ears, Reverse: Horse's head right, Punic letter O to the right

                                        

A Maenad with bunches of grapes in her hair, indicating her association with wild drunken frenzies, though she looks pretty calm. Her hair is wild on top, but rolled down the edges, which must be to hold in the fruit. It is more of a mythological symbol. 

Silver, Triobol of Amphipolis from the reign of Philip V of Macedonia, 196-168 BC, weight 1.6 gm, Obverse: Head of Maenad right, wreathed in vine leaves and grapes, Reverse: Stern of galley, travelling left MAKE above.

                                          

Tanith from Carthage, a grain goddess whose hair is rolled around the brow and ear line, and who has some stalks of wheat tucked into it. Quite achievable as a style.

Silver Drachm of Corinth, 350-306 BC, weight 2.1 gm, Obverse: Pegasus flying left, Reverse: Head of Aphrodite left with hair bound in a sakkos.

                                       

Denarius of L.Valerius, Roman Republic 108-107 BC, Rome mint, silver, weight 3.8 gm, Obverse: winged draped bust of Victory right, XVI monogram below chin, Reverse: LVALERI/ FLACCI Mars walking left carrying spear and trophy, Apex before, corn behind.

These styles are on Roman Republican coins. Victory and Diana, the huntress have their hair pulled back and tied in a knot at the back of the head, a ''Psyche knot''. It's a Greek style which was two or three hundred years old when these coins were struck and would have been regarded as ''classical'' even then. The simple version of the knot must have been a very utilitarian style, easy to manage, not likely to get in the way of vigorous activity. These days, women use a similar style too.

                                          

Silver denarius of C. Postumius TA, Roman Republic, 74 BC, weight 4 gm, Obverse: draped bust of Diana right, bow and quiver over shoulder, Reverse: CPOSTVMITA, Hound running right, spear below.

                                         

Silver denarius of Mn Acilius Glabrio, Roman Republic, 49 BC, weight 3.6 gm, Obverse: SALVTIS Laureate head of Salus right wearing cruciform earring and necklace, Reverse: III VIR VALETV MNACILIVS Valetudo standing left holding snake and leaning on a column.

The way the hair is rolled around the sides of the head makes it easy to support decorations like the wreath.

                                             

Sabina, wife of emperor Hadrian has this distinctive hairstyle, with hair flowing down her neck ending in a loose knot.

Silver denarius of Sabina, 128-136 AD, weight 3.1 gm, Obverse: SABINA AVGVSTA HADRIANI AVG P P Diademed and draped bust right, hair in a plait down her neck, Reverse: CONCORDIA AVG Concordia seated left, holding out a patera in her right hand, left arm resting on a statuette of Spes which forms part of her throne. One cornucopia beneath the throne.

                                           

Silver denarius of Faustina Junior, 147-176 AD, weight 3.3 gm, Obverse: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA Draped bust right pearl band in hair, Reverse: IVNONI REGINAE Juno standing left, tall scepter in left hand, patera in righthand feeding a peacock at her feet left.

When Antoninus Pius' wife Faustina died, he issued millions of coins in her honor. They all had this ornate hairstyle, with the hair plaited and brought back up the head, coiled and knotted, and it looks as though there were pearls strung through it. Her daughter, Faustina Junior, wore a simpler style with the hair waved and drawn into a bun at the back, sometimes with a pearl diadem that is seen on the coin. The bun was sometimes plain, sometimes decorated, small or large, but always there. All Faustina coins can be recognized by the hair style.

                                          

Silver denarius of Diva Faustina Senior 139-141 AD, weight 3 gm, Obverse: DIVA FAVSTINA Draped bust right with pearls in hair, Reverse: C-E-RES Ceres, veiled standing left, long torch in left hand, two ears of corn in her right hand.

                                       

Silver denarius of Lucilla 164-169 AD, weight 2.9 gm, Obverse: LVCILLA AVGVSTA Draped bust right, waved hair leading to a plaited bun. Reverse: PVDIC-ITIA Pudicitia seated left, right hand on breast, left hand down by side.

Lucilla was the daughter of Faustina Junior. Like the other young women of this era, her coins had a variety of hair styles.

                                            

Silver denarius of Crispina, 178-182 AD, weight 2.4gm, Obverse: CRISPINA AVGVSTA Draped bust right, Reverse: HIL-A-RITAS Hilarities standing left, holding palm and cornucopia.

Crispina was Commodus' wife. Her style with her hair plaited and woven on the head, then bought into a bun, was also worn by Faustina Junior, later in life.

                                            

Silver denarius of Plautilla, 202-205 AD, weight 3.4 gm, Obverse: PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA Draped bust right, corn rows doubled up at nape, Reverse: CONCORDIA FELIX Caracalla standing right, clasping right hands

Plautilla was the wife of Caracalla, son of Septimius Severus and inheritor of the empire. Her coins showed quite a range of hairstyles.

                                           

Silver denarius of Julia Domna, 194-218 AD, weight 2.7 gm, Obverse: IVLIA AVGVSTA Draped bust right, Reverse: SAECVLI FELICITAS Isis standing right, left foot on prow, the infant Horus held, right hand holding a small wreath, rudder resting against the stern of a vessel behind.

Julia Domna was the Syrian wife of the emperor Septimius Severus. Her early hairstyle was an elongated bun at the back, with two waved wings of hair drawn down on either side of her head. Her older sister Juia Maesa's hair was similar, but much more gently waved than Domna's severe corrugations.

                                             

Silver denarius of Julia Maesa 218- 225 AD, weight 2.6 gm, Obverse: IVLIA MAESA AVG Draped bust right, Reverse: PVDICITIA seated left, left elbow resting on arm of chair and holding scepter, right hand pulling out veil from shoulder.

                                             

Silver denarius of Julia Mamaea, 222-235 AD, weight 2.6 gm, Obverse; IVLIA MA-MAEA AVG Diademed draped bust right, Reverse: FELICI-T-AS PVBLICA Felicitas standing facing head left, legs crossed holding a short caduceus in right hand and leaning left elbow on column.

Julia Mamaea, Maesa's daughter, had the strongly emphasized waves favored by her aunt Domna, but kept the reduced bun and the clips at the nape. 

                                              

Billon, antoninianus of Salonina 253-268 AD, weight 4 gm, Obverse: SALONINA AVG Diademed draped bust right, resting on crescent. Hair weaved in rows with long plait carried up the back of the head and tucked under a stephane, Reverse: SALVS AVG Salus standing right holding a patera in her left hand to feed a snake held in her right arm.

Otacilia Severa, wife of Philip I, and Salonina, wife of Gallienus, both had this style on their coins. The plaiting of the hair is very clear.

                                     

Billon, antoninianus of Severina, 270-275 AD, weight 3.1 gm, Obverse: SEVERINAE AVG Diademed and draped bust right, a crescent behind her shoulders, Reverse: CONCORDIAE MILITVM Concordia Militum standing facing, head left, holding a military standard in each arm.

Severina was married to one of the strongest military emperors, Aurelian. The idea of bringing the hair back of the head was kept, even though it wasn't in a plait. It reached right to her forehead before coiling back. Helena, the first wife of Constantius Chlorus, had a much simpler style that would not look out of place today. 

        

                                         

Billon of Helena, Augusta, 324-380 AD, weight 1.6 gm, Obverse: FL IVL HE-LENAE AVG Diademed bust right, wearing a necklace, Reverse: PAX PV-B-LICA Pax standing left holding branch downwards in right hand, transverse scepter in left hand.

                                       

  

Bronze follis of Fausta, 326 AD, weight 2.5 gm, Obverse: FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG Mantled bust right, bare headed, waved hair drawn into a bun at the back, Reverse: SALVS REI-PVBLICAE Fausta standing facing, head left holding Constantine II and Constantius II as babies

Fausta, wife of Constantine the Great, looks different. She is wearing the traditional strongly waved hair, lifted off the nape into a larger and more ornate clasp. Theodora, second wife of Constantius Chlorus, had the loop of hair at the nape, but wore a diadem round her head instead of bringing the plait further up. 

                                               

   

Billon of Theodora, Augusta, 337-340 AD, weight 1.7 gm, Obverse: FL MAX THEO-DORAE AVG Draped bust right with braids, circling her head, Reverse: ROMANA Pietas standing facing, head right, holding child in her arms.

Different hair styles remained engraved on coins till about 400 AD. After this, coins of the Roman and Byzantine empires are not very informative about hairstyles.

 

 

                                               

 
 


 

  
 

  

 
 

Earthquake and Coins

 

''While the emperor was tarrying in Antioch a terrible earthquake occurred'' Cassius Dio, Epitome of book LXVIII, referring to Trajan. 

Natural disasters are disturbing events. If they are severe, there are many deaths, and a lot of relief work is required. People elsewhere become fearful that it may happen near them too. Coins were struck, later maybe to send messages to the population. Here are a few possibilities that relate to earthquakes.

                       

Denarius, Trajan, 98-117 AD, standing and being protected by Jupiter

Cassius Dio gives a very graphic description of the terror of the earthquake experienced by the emperor Trajan, the deaths, and the miraculous survivors. Many distinguished Romans had gathered in Antioch to gain access to Trajan while he spent the winter of 114-115 AD there. The quake affected the complete Roman society, but fortunately the emperor survived. He exited the room through a window.

                       

Denarius, Trajan, 98-117 AD, weight 3.1 gm, Obverse: Laureate draped bust right, Reverse: Jupiter standing holding thunderbolt in right hand and scepter in left hand behind, protecting Trajan (who holds a branch under his right arm). 

Dio says ''Some being, of greater than human stature, had come to him and led him forth, so that he could escape with a few injuries'', and this Denarius, struck a year later shows Jupiter with Trajan under his protecting arm. It seems very likely that this was supposed to send the message that Jupiter's protection of the emperor was real and to reassure the population as well.

Some of these coins show the emperor carrying a flower in the attitude of Spes, personification of Hope, a typical reference to the expectation which would be fulfilled during a new reign. These coins might also be making a point that the emperors were supreme under Jupiter, the chief god of the Romans, and the thunderbolt he carries awaits the enemies

                          

Denarius, Hadrian, 117-138 AD, silver, weight 3 gm, Obverse: Bare head right, Reverse: Tellus standing left holding rake in left arm, grasping handle of plough in right hand, two stalks and ears of grain on the right.

The legend on this denarius of Hadrian from 133 AD, TELLVS STABIL, refers to the stability of the earth, so like Trajan's coin, it has been conjectured that it might have some reference to the aftermath of an earthquake. Hadrian was known to have provided disaster relief for at least one earthquake, in Nicomedia, which had been shaken shortly before he arrived there for the winter of 123-124 AD. It was a tribute to the stability of his reign. Tellus, a personification of the earth, is shown holding a rake and a plough, with corn growing alongside, the bountiful earth.

Haryanka Dynasty (544 BC- 413BC) and Coins

The Magadha Janapada was located roughly in the area of the present state of Bihar. Prior to the Mauryas, the accepted chronology of dynasties that ruled were, Haryanka dynasty (545-413 BC), The Shishunaga dynasty (413- 345 BC), and the Nanda dynasty (345-323 BC). 

                       

25-Mashakas, 5th century BC, Haryanka.
             

The Haryanka Dynasty (544 BC- 413 BC) was the first ruling dynasty of Magadha, an empire of ancient India. Initially, the capital was Rajagriha (present-day Rajgir). Later, it shifted to Pataliputra, near the present-day Patna during the reign of Udayin. Bimbisara is considered as the founder of the dynasty. He was contemporary with Gautam Buddha (563 BC - 483 BC) and Mahavira Vardhamana (599 BC - 527 BC). 

During the reign of Bimbisara, the Indian subcontinent was divided into 16 Mahajanapadas.

                        

The approximate extent of the Haryanka dynasty between the 6th and 5th century BCE.

According to Buddhist text, Mahavamsa, Bimbisara was appointed king by his father, Bhattiya, at the age of fifteen. This dynasty was succeeded by the Shishunaga dynasty. Historically, this period coincided with the Achaemenid conquest of the Indus Valley, during the rule of Darius I, from about 517/516 BC. 

Bimbisara reigned from 544 to 492 BC. The extent of his kingdom is mentioned in Mahavagga. He was given the title of Seniya. Both Jain and Buddhist texts claim the king was a follower of their respective religions.  of Buddha Uttaradhyayana Sutra says he was a follower of Mahavira, whereas Sutta Nipata depicts him and his wife, Khema, as followers.

                       

King Bimbisara visits the Bamboo Garden (Venuvana) in Rajagriha artwork from Sanchi.

  

The list of rulers after Bimbisara include Ajatashatru, (492-460 BC), Udayin (460-444 BC), Anuruddha (444-440 BC), Munda, (440-437 BC), Darshaka (437 BC), Nagadasaka (437-413 BC).   

Magadha's earliest coins were dumpy silver 35-mashaka pieces of roughly 7.6 gm, that featured a single 6-arm symbol punch. They seem to have been soon superseded by 25-mashka pieces of roughly 5.5 gm, on thinner, more spread flans, but the same 6-arm symbol punch in the center, but three additional punches were added around the central punch. This group was issued by the Haryankas. The silver punch-marked Karsapana of Ajatashatru was a royal issue bearing five marks and weighing fifty-four grains, the Vedic weight called Karsha equal to 16 mashas. This period included the time during which the Buddha came to Magadha, where he attained enlightenment in Gaya, and where he preached for most of the remainder of his lifetime. The Magadh king Bhimbisara offered his throne to the Buddha but was turned down.  

                     

25-Mashakas, 5th century BC, Magadha, silver, weight 5.4 gm, central 6-arm punch, surrounded by three other punches, uniface. 

                        

25-Mashakas, 5th century BCE, Magadha, silver, weighing 5.3 grams, featuring a central six-arm symbol punch, encircled by three additional punches, uniface. 

                         

25-Mashakas, 5th century BCE, Magadha, silver, weighing 5.3 grams, featuring a central six-armed punch, encircled by three additional punches, uniface.

                         

25-Mashakas, 5th century BCE, silver, Magadha, weighing 4.7 gm, featuring a central six-armed punch, encircled by three additional punches, uniface.

Haryanka Dynasty.