The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c11.s6: King-and-Queen-on-Couch Type
The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c11.s6
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King-and-Queen-on-Couch Type
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This type is so far known from a unique coin purchased by Mr. Boeys at Badauli, about 25 miles from Ayodhya. As it was bought not from a dealer but from a common man at a little above its bullion value, it cannot be suspected to be a modern forgery. Its execution is somewhat coarse, but that is the case also with some of the genuine coins of Chandragupta II. This coin is at present in the collection of Mr. D. C. Hamilton¹ of Messrs. Killick Nixon and Co., but I could not procure it or its fresh photograph for examination; the coin is in a bank in India, while Mr. Hamilton is in Pakistan.
c11.s6.2
¹ Mr. Hamilton wrote to me on 14. 8. 1950 that the coin was in India and he could not get it sent to him in Pakistan at Karachi. While in England, he had shown the coin to Mr. Allan who wrote to him as follows:—
c11.s6.3
The photograph of the coin published in *Pr. A.S.B.*² and reproduced here (Pl. IX. 6) is not very clear. The obverse appears to have been imperfectly struck. The coin appears to have slipped on the die; many of the letters appear double struck, slightly overlapping each other. Hoernle read the legend on the left as *Paramabhaga*. According to him, it begins at
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² *Pr. A.S.B.*, 1888, pp. 129-30.
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"I am really puzzled by this coin. Śri-Vikrama suggests Chandragupta II but I am not absolutely certain that the name below the arm is Chandra, though I cannot think what else it can be meant for. The lettering on the reverse though clear is unusually weak. I cannot make sense of the obverse. It was suggested by Vincent Smith that the frequently recurring *tha* is a sign of contraction, but I know no parallel for this. I can see no trace of any of the usual Gupta legends. Chandragupta II is bareheaded with curly locks, while this king has a headdress like Samudragupta or Chandragupta I on the marriage coins. This evidence points to Chandragupta I but I am not certain."
c11.s6.6
VIII, where we have the letters *para* followed by a circle. Then comes the letter *ma* again followed by a hollow circle. Next follow the letters *bhaga* and then again comes a hollow circle. Hoernle opined that the hollow circle following *bhaga* indicates that it is an abbreviation of *bhāgavata*; the earlier hollow circles are without any significance. According to our view *pa* is off the flan, *ra* appears like a *ru* or *ñu*, *ma* with line at the base is quite distanct, *bha* is possible and *ga* is doubtful. The legend on the right hand side is read as *Pravīraḥ Guptaḥ* by Hoernle. The fascimile raises doubts about this reading. *Va* appears to be a *cha* and *ra* to be *ndra*; next comes probably the letter *ga* followed by a *pta*. What looks like a faint *pra* is most probably a *Śrī* and the legend on the right side is thus probably *Śrī-Chandraguptaḥ* rather than *Pravīraḥ Guptaḥ*, as read by by Hoernle. Legend *Pravīraḥ Guptaḥ* is intrinsically a very improbable one.
c11.s6.7
The legend under the arm of the king is clearly *Chandra*; only *Cha* has become double owing to the slipping of the die. On the reverse we have *Śrī-vikramaḥ* also quite indisputably. The coin therefore has to be attributed to Chandragupta II, who had first assumed this title. At any rate there is so far no evidence to show that it had been adopted by his grandfather Chandragupta I, and so we cannot follow Hoernle in preferring to ascribe it to the founder of the Gupta empire rather than to his grandson. The weight of the coin 112.5 grains may *prima facie* appear to support Hoernle’s opinion; but it must be remembered that the Bayana hoard has disclosed about a dozen coins of Chandragupta II weighing even less than 112 grains. The light weight of the piece, 112.45 grains, does not therefore by itself render its ascription to Chandragupta II improbable.
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Like the Couch type of Chandragupta II, this type is also a very rare one at present; in fact only one coin of the type is known.¹ Probably it was issued contemporaneously with the Couch type or soon after it. Hoernle thought that the type probably represented a drinking scene in the private life of the emperor. The object in the king's hand being offered to the queen has, however, not even the faintest resemblance to a drinking glass or even to any ordinary cup. Hindu taste would not also approve of such a scene in the private life of the king being publicised on coin. The object has got a long and slightly curved handle with a knob at the top. It is an ornament, most probably a *sindūradānī*.
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¹ At Lucknow I had heard a report in 1948 that a dealer there had a second specimen; I could however never see it.
c11.s6.10
Gold; .85"; 112.5 grains; *Pro. A.S.B.*, 1888., Pl. VI. *Obv:* King, nimbate and in tailed long coat and trousers standing to left, offering incense on an altar before him and holding a standard in the r. hand, as on the Standard type of Samudragupta; Garuḍa standard behind the r. hand. Under the l. arm, *Chandra*. Circular legend, commencing at VIII, *Para(?)mabhaga....śri-Chandragupta*. *Rev:* King and the Queen nimbate, sitting on a couch facing each other, king being to r. and queen to l. The r. leg of the king is tucked up and the l. one is hanging down. The queen sits with r. leg hanging down, supporting herself with the r. arm on the corner of the couch, the left one being akimbo. The king is dressed in a *dhoti* reaching upto his knees and the queen in a bodice and *sāri* of the normal type. Both wear bracelets, earrings, head-ornaments, and nacklaces, and the queen having anklets in addition. The king is offering to the queen an object with a curved handle and a thick knob at the top. Possibly it is a *sindūradānī*. Crescent between the two. Legend on the margin behind the queen, *Śri-Vi* and behind the king, *kramaḥ*.