The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c16.s1.8

c16.s1.8

For a long time, the question could not be settled with certainty. For, on the solitary coin known till 1948 the first letter could be read both as *pu* or *bu*.³ The second letter could be taken as a slightly misshapen *dha* or a blurred *ra*, the flan having moved during the striking. In 1948, however, two new coins of this type were found, where the reading of the obverse legend under the arm was clearly *Budha*, and the reverse legend was *Śrīvikrama*. It thus became quite clear that the king, who issued these coins, was Budhagupta and not Purugupta. It is also very probable that the heavy weight Archer type coins, having the legend *Śrīvikrama* on the reverse, were also the issues of the same emperor. We have therefore to conclude that Purugupta was different from Skandagupta and ruled as a *Mahārājādhirāja* after his reign, and that gold coins bearing his personal name have not yet seen the light of the day. It is however likely that the coins with *biruda* *Prakāśāditya* may have been issued by him. We shall discuss this point later.