The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c11.s5: Couch Type
The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c11.s5
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Couch Type
c11.s5.1
The coins of the Couch type vary in size from .8" to .85". They were issued to the standard of 121 grains. One piece in the British Museum weighs 114.7 grains, but it is rather worn out. The coins of this class are rare; the British Museum, the Indian Museum, the Lucknow Museum and the Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay have each only one specimen. The Bayana hoard had three.
c11.s5.2
On the obverse of this type we see the king seated upon a couch. He is bare-bodied and usually holds a flower in his right hand, the left hand resting upon the couch. The reverse as a rule shows the goddess seated upon throne, but sometimes on a backless couch.
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This type is obviously adapted from the Lyrist type of Samudragupta. On both, the king is sitting facing and bare-bodied upon a couch. Samudragupta is, however, represented as playing on a lyre. Chandragupta probably was not a musician like his father and did not therefore allow himself to be shown as playing on lute during his leisure hours. In one variety (Pl. IX. 5), the goddess on the reverse is seated on a wicker-stool partially resembleing its prototype, but on others (Pl. IX. 1-4) she is seated on a throne in a posture strikingly similar to that of the Throne reverse class of the Archer type of the present ruler (Pl. IV. 6-12). On the strength of the circumstance that the form of *ha* as seen on early specimens was of the eastern variety, it had been argued that this type may have been issued at Pāṭaliputra;¹ and because its reverse imitates the reverse of the Throne-reverse class of the Archer type, it was suggested that the type may have been issued early in the reign and was probably connected with the coronation. On other specimens, since discovered, western forms of *ma* and *ha* are used, and even if we suppose that these forms had a geographical significance, we cannot now conclude that these coins were issued at Pāṭaliputra only.
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¹ *B.M.C., G.D.*, p. lxxi.
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The circular legend on the obverse is in prose and is either *Devaśrī-mahārājādhirāja-śrī-Chandraguptasya* or *—pta Vikramādityasya* or *Paramabhāgavata-mahārājādhirāja-śrī-Chandraguptaḥ*.
c11.s5.6
On one variety, there is an additional legend *Rūpākṛti* just below the couch. The proper interpretation of this term is, however, not easy. The last letter is distinctly *ti*; we cannot therefore read the legend as *rūpakṛtiḥ*, meaning (king's) figure on the coin (*rupe akṛtiḥ*) or the beautiful figure (of the king), (*rūpayuktā ākṛtiḥ*).
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*Rupa* technically denotes a certain variety of drama in Sanskrit, and had the legend been *rūpakṛti*, it would have been possible to interpret it as one who is expert or successful (*kṛtin*) in composing *rūpa*, a variety of drama. Chandragupta is well known as a parton of literature and may himself have been a dramatist. But the legend in question distinctly reads as *rūpākṛti*, and not as *rūpakṛti*, so this interpretation is impossible, unless we suppose that *rūpākṛti* is a mistake for *rūpakṛti*. It may be, however, pointed out that what is usually taken as the medial *ā* stroke of *pa* is quite detached from that letter, and it may be due to a flaw in the die. In that case the legend would read *rūpakṛti* and mean ‘one who is skilled in dramatic composition,’ or ‘one who has gained his end in dramatic composition.’
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The problem of the correct interpretation of the legend can be solved only by fresh discoveries of better coins.
c11.s5.9
In variety A of this class (Pl. IX. 1) the circular legend, beginning at VIII, is *Devaśrī-mahārājādhirāja-śrī-Chandraguptasya Vikramādityasya* (Pl. XXI. 16). It is only in this variety that the mysterious legend *rūpākṛiti* occurs below the couch. The reverse shows the goddess seated upon a throne, holding lotus in left hand, right hand being open and empty. The legend is *Śrīvikkramaḥ*, written on the left, but it does not displace the symbol.
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In variety B (Pl. IX. 2), the circular legend is abbreviated into *Deva-śrī-mahārājādhirāja-śrī-Chandraguptasya* (Pl. XXI. 16). The reverse is the same as that of the variety A, but the legend is on the right as usual.
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Variety C (Pl. IX. 3) differs from variety A in not having the legend *rupākṛiti* on the obverse and from variety B in having the reverse legend on the left instead of the right.
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Variety D (Pl. IX. 4) resembles variety C in the obverse, but the right hand of the goddess on the reverse is not empty but holds a noose and the legend is on right.
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In variety E (Pl. IX. 5), the king is seated three-fourths to left. His left hand is resting upon the back of the couch and he is offering by his right hand a bud of lotus apparently to an object of worship in his front, which is only partially visible upon the coin. There is a spitoon below the couch. The legend, which begins at I, is incomplete; we can read *Paramabhāgavata-mahā* and can therefore conjecturally complete it with *rājādhirāja-śrī-Chandraguptaḥ*. The goddess on the reverse is also seated on a backless couch, partly resembling a wicker-stool. Her left hand is empty by her side and the right hand holds apparently a lotus bud with long stalk. There is no symbol and the legend is *Vikramādityaḥ*.
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As each variety is represented by only one or two coins, no general description of the type is necessary.
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(With the legend *Rūpakṛiti*)
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(1) Gold; .8"; 118 grains; *I.M.C.*, I, Pl. XV. 10.
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*Obv:* King wearing waist cloth and jewelry seated facing, but head to l., on high-backed couch holding flower in uplifted r. hand, the left hand resting on the edge of the couch; circular legend, beginning at VII, *Devaśrī-mahārājādhirāja-śri-Cha*, on r., *ndra-(gupta) sya (Vikra)mādityasa*. ‘Of the emperor, His Majesty, Chandragupta Vikramāditya.’ Letters on r. are blurred. Beneath the couch, *rūpakṛiti*, ‘successful in dramatic composition (?)’ or ‘of graceful figure (?)’
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*Rev:* Goddess seated on throne, her feet rest on lotus; her r. hand is opened out and empty and the l. one holds a lotus. Legend on l., *Śrī-Vikramaḥ*; symbol above it.
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(Pl. IX. 1.)
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Variety B (As above, but without the legend *Rūpakṛiti*)
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(2) Gold; .8"; 114.7 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. VI. 8.
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*Obv:* Similar to variety A, but the legend omits the concluding word *Vikramādityasya* and begins at IX. Letters are bigger and clearer, though truncated at several places. *Chandraguptasya* occurs after IV, and *ptasya* just below the couch. The flower in r. hand is crudely engraved and was mistaken by Smith for a quiver.
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*Rev:* As above, but the legend *Śrīvikrama* is on r. as usual.
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(Pl. IX. 2.)
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Variety C (As variety B, but reverse legend on r.)
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(3) Gold; .8"; 120.6 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XVIII. 12.
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*Obv:* As in var. B. Body of the king is muscular and the flower in his r. hand is distinct. Legend beginning at VIII, truncated on l. It appears to have begun with *Mahārājā* and not with *Devaśrī*; from IX, *rājā-dharāja*, on r. *Śri-Chandraguptasya*, very clear.
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*Rev:* Goddess as in veriety B, but legend *Śrīvikrama* on r. and not on l.
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(Pl. IX. 3)
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(Goddess has noose in r. hand)
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(4) Gold; .8"; 119.5 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XVIII. 13.
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*Obv:* As above, but legend from VII, *Davaśramahā*, from II, *dhirāja-śri-Cha*, truncated.
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*Rev:* Goddess as above, but holds a noose in r. hand. Lotus in l. hand is very clear. Both hands are bent up. Symbol on l. Legend on r. *Śrīvikkrama*.
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(Pl. IX. 4)
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Variety E
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(With the legend, *Paramabhāgavata*)
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(5) Gold; .8"; 118.5 grains; *B.H.* Pl. XVIII. 11.
c11.s5.38
*Obv:* King seated three-fourths to l. on a couch with pearl-bedecked high back. All four legs of the couch are visible. King’s l. arm rests on the back of the couch and in his r. hand he is holding a lotus bud with long stalk, which he is apparently offering to an object of worship, which is but partly visible on the coin and cannot therefore be identified. A spitoon below the couch. Legend, beginning at I, *Paramabhāgavatamaha*.
c11.s5.39
*Rev:* Goddess seated upon a backless couch covered with lotus. There is a rectangular object below the couch the nature of which cannot be made out. She holds a flower with a long stalk in her r. hand, hanging empty by her side. No symbol. Legend, *Vikramāditya*; notice how the flourishes of the subscripts of the letters *kra* and *tya* form almost a continuous line, which appears to seperate the goddess from the legend.