The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c17.s3.37

c17.s3.37

shown by a short slanting stroke to left and *ai* by two such strokes on the same side.¹ Medial *o* is indicated by two strokes, one slanting to right and the other to left.² The medial *ṛi* is denoted sometimes by a curve open to right³ and sometimes by one open to left.⁴ Sometimes there is a great flourish in the former;⁵ sometimes it is denoted by a short curve open upwards.⁶ In one case the engraver has committed the mistake of combining both the medial *i* and *ṛi* vowels⁷ in the word *pṛithivī*. It is obvious that in the Gupta age, as now, *pṛithivī* was pronounced as *pṛithivī*.