The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c15.s2.t2: Class II: Bull Type

The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c15.s2.t2

Language: English

Class II: Bull Type

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The general description of this type is as follows:- *Obv:* Head of the king to r.; no trace of date or Greek letters. *Rev:* Nandi (Bull) recumbent to r.; circular legend is defective, but it was intended to be *Paramabhāgavata-mahārājādhirāja-śrī-Skandagupta-Kramādityaḥ*. The legend is given on Pl. XXV. 13.

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The size of the coins of this type varies between ·5" and ·6" and their weight from 20 to 29 grains. The normal ave-

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1. *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XX. 8.

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rage weight is about 25 grains. Silver used is considerably adulterated. The title *mahārājādhirāja* is variously contracted into *rājādhirā* or *mahara* or even *ma* on different coins.

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The obverse of these coins resembles that of class II of the silver coins of Kumāragupta inasmuch as both the classes have no Greek letters. It is likely that it may have supplanted that class. Bull later became the emblem of the rulers of Valabhi and Mr. Allan has therefore suggested that these coins may have been current in the land round about the Gulf of Cambay. But the Bull was also on the coins of the Nāga rulers of Padmāvatī and it is also seen to figure on the coins of the Kalachūri ruler Kṛṣṇarāja, who ruled in Mālwā in the third quarter of the 6th century and issued a silver currency closely resembling the Bull type of Skandagupta. It is therefore not unlikely that this type may have been current in Mālwā. We have already suggested the possibility of the coins of class II of Kumāragupta’s silver coins being current in this region.

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The execution of the coins of this type is rather crude, but not quite so crude as that of the Altar type to be presently described.

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COINS ILLUSTRATED : 2

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(1) Silver; .5"; 25.6 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*; Pl. XX. 9. *Obv:* As described above, but face is partly cut off. No trace of date. *Rev:* Bull to r.; legend, from I, *Śra-Skandagupta-Kramada*. (Pl. XVIII. 9)

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(2) Silver; .6"; 24.6 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XX. 12. *Obv:* Bust of the king almost entire; no date or Greek letters. *Rev:* Legend, (V) *Paramabhagavata-mahāra-śra-Skandagupta-Kramadatya*. Bhagavata is blurred.

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ALTAR TYPE

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The general description of this class is as follows:- *Obv:* Bust of king to r.; traces of Greek letters, O, H, U. *Rev:* Altar in the centre with three flames rising above it. Circular legend, often defective; *Parama-bhāgavata-śrī-Vikramāditya-Skandaguptaḥ* (Pl. XXV. 14) in var. A and *Paramabhāgavata-śrī-Skandaguptaḥ Kramādityaḥ* (Pl. XXVI. 16). in Var. B.

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The coins of the Altar type of all the varieties are very crudely executed. They have no regular size and can be called neither circular, nor oval nor rectangular. They are mere bits or fragments of metal stamped with devices and the complete legend cannot be seen on any of them. The letters of the legend are, however in high relief and easily legible, though they are carelessly engraved. The size varies between .5" and .55" and the normal weight of the average coin is about 28 grains. The circular legend is often defective, variety C being most remarkable in this respect.

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The emblem on the reverse is here described as Altar. Smith had taken it to be a rudely executed bird. There is no doubt that Garuḍa on some coins looks like the altar, but the device is repeated so frequently in such a stereo-typed manner that it would be more correct to call it Altar as Mr. Allan has done. It appears to have been borrowed from the gold coins, where it figures on the obverse of the Standard type of Samudragupta and the Chhattra type of Chandragupta II.

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It has been suggested that the device may be a *Tulasi-vṛndāvana*. This view is undoubtedly a plausible one, but it has to be admitted that the three prong-like things upon the altar have a greater resemblance to the three flames of fire than to the branches of the Tulasi plant. The apex and base of the lower object are too broad and its vertical portion too narrow to justify its description as a *vṛndāvana*. The art however, is very crude and we cannot exclude the possibility of the device being intended for *Tulasi-vṛindāvana*, especially when it is remembered that the legend on the obverse proclaims the Vaishṇava faith of the emperor, which attached great importance to the *Tulasi* plant.

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The coins of this class are as crude in execution and irregular in size as those of class I. In many cases the features of the bust can hardly be recognised as those of a human being. The weight of normal pieces varies from 26 to 32 grains; the size is sometimes only .4", and sometimes it is as large as .55".

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The Altar type is divided into three varieties; variety A has the king's *biruda* as *Vikramāditya*, variety B shows the *biruda* as *Kramāditya* and variety C has no *biruda* at all.

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Altar type is the most common type of the silver currency of Skandagupta. The Garuḍa and the Bull types are relatively rare.

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Variety A

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COINS ILLUSTRATED : 2 (With the title *Vikramāditya*)

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(1) Silver; .5"; 26.4 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XX. 15. *Obv:* Bust very crude and truncated in front; no traces of Greek letters. *Rev:* Altar complete; legend, from IX, *ta-śra-Vakramadatya-Skanda*. (Pl. XVIII. 11)

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(2) Silver; .55"; 32.8 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XX. 16. *Obv:* Bust crude; face truncated. *Rev:* (VIII) *ta-śra-Vakramadatya-Skand*. (Pl. XVIII. 12)

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Variety B

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(With the title *Kramāditya*)

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The general description of this variety is as follows:— *Obv:* Bust of king to r.; traces of letters like H, O, etc. on some coins.

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*Rev:* Altar; circular legend beginning on the left at VI or VII or X, *Paramabhāgavata-śri-Skandagupta-Kramāditya*.

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The title *Kramāditya* occurs so regularly and on so large a number of coins that we cannot regard it as an abbreviation of *Vikramāditya*, dictated by the smallness of space or caused by the carelessness of the engraver. It occurs also on the gold coins of Skandagupta. We must therefore assume that this ruler had taken both the *birudas*, *Kramāditya* and *Vikramāditya*.