The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c11.s2.2

c11.s2.2

In the Lion-slayer type,¹ on the obverse the king is usually shown as attacking the lion, generally by bow and arrow, but sometimes by the sword as well. The two are sometimes shown apart, but pitted against each other; in many cases, however, the king is shown as trampling the lion on his belly. On the reverse there is goddess seated on lion. Her mount would suggest that she is intended to be Durgā, but usually she is also shown as holding a lotus in her left hand; so the intention of representing her as Lakshmi cannot be altogether excluded. Her right hand usually holds a noose but in some cases it is empty. The mount of the goddess is sometimes seated couchant and sometimes walking either to right or to left.