185-168 avant J.-C. Square 2-karshapanas, post-Mauryan issue from Taxila, c.185-168 BC, India very-good-excellent-vg-ex

Elephant advancing right; 3-arched hill above // Lion standing left; hill to left and swastika right. 16mmx17mm, 11.34 grams. Taxila mint. Pieper 1494; Mitch. ACW #538.

Huge 2-karshapana, scarce denomination.

The ancient city of Taxila remained one of the most important urban, commercial, and cultural centers of northwestern South Asia during the post-Mauryan period (after c. 185 BC). Following the decline of the Maurya Empire, Taxila came under the rule of successive powers, including the Indo-Greek Kingdom, Indo-Scythian Kingdom, Indo-Parthian Kingdom, and later the Kushan Empire. The city flourished as a major hub on trade routes linking India, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean world, and it became renowned for its blending of Indian, Greek, Persian, and Central Asian cultural influences. Taxila was also a prominent center of Buddhist learning and art, producing many examples of the distinctive Gandharan style. Although it prospered for centuries, the city gradually declined after invasions by groups such as the Huns in the 5th century AD.

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