The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c11.s4.8

c11.s4.8

We can distinguish several varieties in class II according to the posture of the goddess. In variety A (Pl. VIII. 7-8), the goddess is standing on a conventional lotus. Smith had thought this object to be a monster, but it distinctly looks like a lotus on some specimens (Pl. VIII. 7). In variety B (Pl. VIII. 9-10), the goddess stands on a low pedestal; on one rare coin we see her lifting up her right foot, as if with a view to descend down (Pl. VIII. 10). Coins of this variety are rare. In variety C (Pl. VIII. 11-12), the goddess is seen standing three fourths to left upon a circular mat and in variety D (Pl. VIII. 13-14), she is shown as walking to left. The posture of the feet in both the varieties is similar; we presume that she is standing in the former variety, because there is a circular mat under her feet, and walking in the latter, because there is no such mat. On those pieces where the feet do not appear on the flan in their entirety (Pl. VIII. 14), it is not easy to state whether the goddess is really walking or standing. The variety E (Pl. VIII. 15) is so far known from only two coins; it shows the goddess running to left. The posture of her arms and feet undoubtedly suggests that she is running rather than walking.