The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c13.s12.1

c13.s12.1

The Lyrist type of Kumāragupta was altogether unknown before the discovery of the Bayana hoard; it also contains only two of its specimens. The type obviously represents an effort to revive the Lyrist type of Samudragupta. The obverse shows the king seated on a high-backed couch and playing on a lute placed on his lap, as on the prototype; the legend is also the same, with only a change of the name, viz. *Mahārājādhirāja-śrī-Kumāraguptaḥ* (Pl. XXIII. 35). The reverse, however, shows considerable departure from the prototype. It no doubt shows the goddess or queen facing to left. She is, however, seated on a couch like the king on the obverse, and not on a wicker-stool as on the coins of Samudragupta. Her left hand rests on the couch and is not holding a cornucopiæ as on the prototype. The right hand does not hold a *pāśa*, but a flower; the lady is smelling it. The legend *Śrī-Kumāragupta* (Pl. XXIV. 61) is on the left and not on the right.