The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c12.12

c12.12

The coins of Rāmagupta were examined by a number of scholars at Nagpur in 1950 at the time of the Numismatic Conference, and they agreed that the legend was clearly Rāmagupta or Rāmaguta. The reading of the legend is also clear on two of the coins in the collection of Mr. Advani.¹ There is no doubt that the issuer was Rāmagupta. As gold coins of Rāmagupta have not been found in any Gupta hoard, including the Bayana hoard, where all kings from Chandragupta I to Skandagupta are represented, it is possible to argue that Rāmagupta of the copper coins may be a local ruler in Mālwā. Copper coinage was not introduced before the time of Chandragupta II and it may therefore well be doubted whether Rāmagupta had really taken the trouble of issuing it during his short and troubled reign.