Smackdown Xiv, One Purchase This Year, Under $50

I really wish we all would read the instructions on these posts. The challenge was to show the best use of $50 on one or more coins purchased at the same time from the same dealer. We have had several posts with one to four coins adding up to under $50. There was no call for a single coin that was cheapest unless you define the best $50 as the $50 not spent. The hill appears above the elephant and in front of the lion. These can be popular also for the swastika above the lion showing that this symbol has a long history before it was used by Hitler. These, as I understand it, were the minor, local bronzes that provided small change for the punchmarked silvers. What I see here matches what Mitchiner (4398-4407 shows several variations of which 4402 looks closest to yours) attributes to Pushkalavati c.185-160 BC. He gives the weight at 13.2g which is right on considering your coin's wear. I believe that would make it 1 1/2 karshapana denomination. I do not know the basis that caused your coin to be IDed to Taxila. I do know that a lot of Mitchiner has been updated but I don't know on what basis or if these are included in any more recent studies.

dougs I disagree, the rules stated a single purchase with a total including shipping of 50$ or less and that it could be one coin up to 50$ or two or more bought at one time for 50$ or less.

as I understand it, that does allow the riff raff coins in the country club to play a few holes with the high class fellas. if not, I'm going to be sad , but i'll remove my entry. but I'm really excited to finally have a coin to post in the smackdown...just letting you guys know

also dougs, thanks much for that info! very cool and got me digging a bit more... so, looks like the official attribution would be (or similar to)...

Anonymous late series of Pushkalavati (circa 185 - 160 BC)
1 1/2 Karshapana
Mitchiner ACW 4402

Obverse: Elephant right; stupa with crescent above.
Reverse: Lion left; swastika above.


here's a cool page with some coins of the period..

http://www.grifterrec.com/coins/ind...tindia2.html

Whew, think I made it just in time. Been too busy to participate lately, and this is a category I finally have half a chance at due to my tendency to buy stuff I don't need or even really want if the price is right. Once in hand I liked them all very much though. Purchased and shipped from Europe to Alaska for $15.50.

Ancientnoob #1 lucky Republican local purchase GOLD
echizento group of four SILVER
Nothus group of five BRONZE
-- Warren

Too bad we did not get more entrants into this category. Also, for whatever his reasoning, it's too bad Doug chose to remove his coins. He would have had at least my vote. Oh well, here is my vote then:

GOLD: Anoob's coin #1; T. Quinctius Flamininus denarius

SILVER: DVC's AE17 Macedonia, Alexander III 336-323 BC

BRONZE: Echizento's set of four (Probus. Gallienus x2, and Claudius II)

Gold - Ancientnoob's - T. Quinctius Flamininus denarius
Silver - Doucet's - Constans II
Bronze - Nothus - Group of five.

Nothus has my GOLD - two examples of one of my favourite reverses and a non standard bust.
chrsmat71 - Silver - Extra points for being square.
BRONZE - Steve's Eagle