The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c15.s1.2

c15.s1.2

The tendency to increase the weight standard of gold coins continued in the reign of Skandagupta. His father had issued largest number of coins to the standard of about 127 grains, though he had issued some coins weighing as high as 130 grains. In the reign of Skandagupta 132 grains standard became the prevailing standard in the King and Lakshmi type, Chhatra type and the smaller variety of the Archer type. He, however, issued one variety of the Archer type, which is naturally larger in size, to the weight standard to about 144 grains. His Horseman type also weighs 140·5 grains. It appears that these were intended to conform to the *suvarṇa* standard of 80 *rattis* or 144 grains. Cunningham had stated that these heavy weight coins were heavily adulterated; what was apparently given in weight was taken away by adding heavy dross to the metal. Recent assaying of the gold coins of Skandagupta in the British Museum done by the mint authorities has, however, shown that the heavier coins of Skandagupta do not contain any greater percentage of alloy than that in his lighter variety. As a matter of fact coin No. 417 of the *B.M.C.* of the lighter weight standard was found to contain an alloy of 26% and coin No. 428 of the same Museum of the heavy weight standard was seen to have an alloy of only 22%.¹ It appears that the financial strain on the resources of the empire was responsible for this deterioration in the purity of the coinage. The coins of the early Gupta emperors usually contain an alloy of about 10% only.