The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c18.s4: (4) Jayagupta
The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c18.s4
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(4) Jayagupta
c18.s4.1
Jayagupta is known to us from a singal copper coin, now in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. Its findspot has not been recorded; so no conjecture can be hazarded about the locality of the kingdom of this ruler. He, however, copies closely the common copper type of Chandragupta II, having bust of the king on the obverse and Garuḍa and the legend on the reverse. The letter *ya* on his coin is tripartite and not bipartite, as on the coins of Jaya[nāga] and Samāchāradeva, who flourished between 550 to 650 A.D. The copper coinage of the Imperial Guptas was practically given up by the successors of Kumāragupta I. We may, therefore, place Jayagupta not later than the first half of the 6th century A.D. He was probably a small local ruler, who was content to issue copper coins only.
c18.s4.2
BUST TYPE
c18.s4.3
Copper; .7" X .6"; 19.8 grains;¹ *I.M.C.*, Vol. I, Pl. XVII, 10.
c18.s4.4
¹ This coin has been published also in *C.M.I.*, Pl. II. 3.
c18.s4.5
*Obv:* Rather blurred, but faint traces of the bust of the king.
c18.s4.6
*Rev:* Upper half : Garuḍa standing facing. Lower half : Legend, [*Ja*]yagu[*pta*].
c18.s4.7
(Pl. XIXA. 4)