The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c15.s2.t2.15

c15.s2.t2.15

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.