Pauravas of Punjab, Mahindramitra, Rectangular Copper, 2.55g, Obv: Lion walking to right, Kharoshthi legend …ñaMahindamitra(sa), Rev: Palm tree in railing, symbols and Brahmi letters ‘Chha’ and ‘Kha’ on either side (not in MAC). Very fine, extremely rare.
Pauravas were the descendants of Vedic tribe of Purus and also of Porus, the king who stood up to Alexander’s challenge. Their domains were in North-West Punjab. The Brahmi letters on reverse are thought to stand for ‘Chakh’, their principle city. This coin is rectangular and with only Kharoshthi legend on obverse – both factors make it significantly different from Paurava coins listed by Mitchiner.