The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c15.s2.t2.14

c15.s2.t2.14

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.