The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c17.s2.10

c17.s2.10

It is usually assumed that the strained condition of the imperial treasury was responsible for the adulteration of the Gupta gold currency. This does not seem to have been the case. It is forgotten that every gold coin in ancient India was accepted at its real value and not at its face value. The state in ancient India was not bound to issue coins; many governments did not issue them at all. I believe that the heavier alloy of 25% in the coins of the later Gupta emperors was due to the desire to have a coin of the traditional weight of *suvarṇa*, but giving only 112 grains of gold as before.