The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c15.s2.1

c15.s2.1

Skandagupta was the last Gupta emperor to issue silver coins of both the Western and Madhyadeśa types. Epigraphical evidence proves decisively that he continued to exercise sway over Kathiawar through his own viceroys. It is therefore natural that we should get his silver coinage of the Western type in fairly large quantity. He continued the class I of his father and grand-father showing traces of Greek letters. But we have no coins of his corresponding to classes II¹ and III² of Kumāragupta I. Mr. Allan has therefore suggested that this circumstance can be explained on the assumption that the districts, where these types were being issued, were probably lost by Skandagupta some time during his reign. There is nothing impossible in his suggestion, but more evidence would be required before it can be accepted. In the first place we do not know where the coins of these two classes were current. The difference between them and those of class I is rather minute, and it may be that the class II with no Greek letters on the obverse, was discontinued by Skandagupta simply because class I, where these letters were mechanically reproduced, was more popular in Western India. It is further not unlikely that the disappearance of these two classes may be partly due to the introduction of two new types by Skandagupta, viz., the Bull type and the Altar type. Owing to the absence of any definite information about the precise findspots of the coins of the differnt classes, it is difficult to accept the view as proved that Skandagupta had lost some districts in Western India, which were the places where classes II and III of the silver coinage of his father were current.