India Rare silver masha, Chach of Alor in Sindh and Multan, c.675/685 AD (F/T #M4)

Stylized head right within a dotted border / Stylized Sassanian altar with the shaft replaced with three dots, Brahmi Sri Tapana Ku. 10mm, 0.61 grams, Multan mint. Fishman/Todd "The Silver Damma" Type M4.

Early silver masha, heavier and thicker than the more common later dammas of the related type.

“Tapana” was probably the local epithet of Raja Dahir of Alor (679-712 CE), whose realm encompassed Multan. It is also possible that after the initial issues minted by an earlier ruler named Tapana, with the coins of his successors simply used his name as a part of “frozen” design. 

These coins are studied in detail in "The Silver Damma" by Fishman and Todd, now a standard catalogue for this sort of small silver coinage.

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