The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c19: Appendix II: Addenda and Corrigenda
The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c19
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- English
Appendix II: Addenda and Corrigenda
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The present book was in typescript for eight years and in the press for three years. During this period a few new types of the Gupta coinage have come to light; we shall illustrate them in this Appendix. New evidence showed that some of the statements made in the book required modification; we shall do this also here.
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Chandragupta I
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Rupar in the Eastern Punjab is to be added to the findspots of the coins of this ruler given on p. 26; a gold coin of his was discovered there in 1954.
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Samudragupta
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STANDARD TYPE : A DOUBLE STRUCK COIN
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On p. 49 we have referred to a double struck coin of the Standard type of this ruler; a second coin of this nature has been recently acquired by the State Museum, Lucknow and has been published in *J.N.S.I.*, XV, p. 83, Pl. III. 4.
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AŚVAMEDHA TYPE
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Gold; .85"; 116.6 grains; Bharat Kala Bhavan, Banaras Hindu University.
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*Obv:* Horse standing before a *yūpa* as usual; one circular medallion above its foreleg and another on its haunch, both upon straps. Legend (I) *Rajadharaja pri*.
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*Rev:* As usual.
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On the coins of this type published so far, the horse is usually bare; in rare cases it has a strap on the neck. The present coin has two straps, one above the foreleg and the other over the hip, each having a round medallion like those seen on some coins of the Horseman type of Kumāragupta I (Pl. X. 11-12).
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BATTLE-AXE TYPE
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Variety D (?)
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Gold; .85"; 114.8 grains; Bharat Kala Bhavan, Banaras Hindu University.
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*Obv:* As usual. Between the king and the attendant, *Samudra*; between the king and the battle-axe, *gupta*. Circular legend, (II) *Kṛitantaparaśa*; at (IX), *tyajata-raja*; above the crescent standard, *jata*.
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*Rev:* As usual. The right hand of the goddess is opened out; faint traces of the neck of the peacock before it (?) (Pl. XIX. 3)
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Whether this coin belongs to class I, var. C (Pl. III. 4), which is rather rare, or whether it constitutes a new variety is not clear. The object near the right hand of the goddess on the reverse presents a problem. It may be an ill-executed representation of the usual noose or the neck of a peacock. If it is the latter, it will constitute a new variety, viz. D. No gold coins with peacock on the reverse are, however, known so far earlier than the time of Kumāragupta I.
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It may be, further, pointed out here that among the coins of the Bayana hoard, there is one in the Horseman type of Kumāragupta I, where the outlines of the noose in the hand of the goddess look like the neck of a peacock (Pl. XXII. 9). Here also the same may be the case.
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(3) ARCHER TYPE OF SAMUDRAGUPTA I OR II (?)
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Gold; .9"; 136 grains (after clipping); *J.N.S.I.*, Pl. XVI. 102.¹
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¹ This coin is with the firm of Messrs. Gaya Prasad Gaurishankar of Lucknow. Mr P. L. Gupta first published it in *J.N.S.I.*, Vol XVI, p. 102 and attributed it to Samudragupta II.
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*Obv:* King standing, holding bow in the left hand and arrow in the right; Garuḍa standard in front. Circular legend, not preserved; under the left arm, *Samudra*.
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*Rev:* Goddess seated on lotus and holding a noose in the right hand and a lotus in the left. On the right *Parākrama*.
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(Pl. XIX. 4)
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Who was the issuer of this coin cannot be definitely stated. Samudragupta II of the Gupta dynasty is not so far known and it is possible to argue that this coin may be of that unpublished variety of Samudragupta’s Archer type referred to by Kittoe as occurring in the Bharsar hoard,² which had on the reverse the legend *Parākrama* and not *Apratirathaḥ*, which is so far known to be the only legend on the reverse of the Archer type. Kittoe’s observation that the king on the obverse is offering oblations on the altar may be due to a mistake, the arrow being mistaken for the altar.
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² *J.A.S.B.*, 1852, p. 190.
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There are, however, several cogent reasons to attribute this coin to Samudragupta II, who may have been one of the Gupta princes, hitherto unknown, who were contending for the Gupta crown after the death of Skandagupta. The following arguments can be adduced in support of this view:—
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(1) The weight of the coin, when clipped, is 136 grains. Originally it must have been about 144 grains. This weight standard was unknown in the reign of Samudragupta I and became common only with the advent of Skandagupta.
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(2) The style in which Lakshmī on the reverse folds her legs, looking like a pillow, became common only with late kings like Narasiṃhagupta (Pl. XV. 2-3) and Prakāśāditya (Pl. XV. 14-15).
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(3) The gold of the coin is relatively impure, as is the case with the coins of most of the later Gupta kings. It resembles them also in its rough workmanship, as also in the absence of the circular legend on the obverse.
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When dynasties begin to decline, claimants to the throne tend to multiply. Later evidence may well justify the tentative suggestion, made now purely on the numismatic evidence, that the issuer of the present coin is Samudragupta II.
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A third alternative is to regard the coin as an ancient forgery. We have forged copperplates of Samudragupta as instanced by his Gaya and Nalanda copperplates; his coins also may have been forged in the 5th or the 6th century A. D.
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No definite conclusion can at present be drawn about the attribution of this type.
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SYMBOL ON THE OBVERSE OF A COIN OF SAMUDRAGUPTA
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On p. 292 of this work, I have stated that a symbol occurs on the obverse also of a Standard type coin of Samudragupta, No. 688 of the Bodleian Collection. This statement was made on the authority of V. A. Smith, who had testified to its existence on p. 30 of the *Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society*, 1889.
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I had however a suspicion that this observation might be due to a mistake, and so I wrote to my friend Mr. A. D. H. Bivar of the Ashmolean Museum to examine the coin and let me know whether there was really a symbol on its obverse. Mr. Bivar replied that there was no symbol on the obverse and that some letters of the circular legend were mistaken for a symbol. I then requested Mr. Bivar to supply me a photograph of the coin for publication in this work and he kindly obliged me by complying with my request. I am now publishing the coin, so that the readers may judge for themselves as to whether the coin has any symbol in the upper left hand corner on the obverse.
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I now describe the coin.
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Gold; weight not known; .85"; Ashmolean Museum, No. 688.
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*Obv:* As on the Standard type, class I, var. A. Halo is very large. Under l. arm, *Samu*.
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Circular legend beginning at I; only faint traces of *Samaraśa* visible on the right.
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Between VIII and IX, *jayaja*. The last two letters bear a superficial resemblance to a symbol; the last letter *ja* appears like the three upper prongs of the symbol with a horizontal line below; the right hand line of *ya* appears like the second horizontal line below the three prongs; the remaining part of *ya* appears like the right portion of a symbol like one of those appearing on the coin of Kācha. There can however be no doubt that what we have here are letters *yaja* and not a symbol.
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*Rev:* As on class I, var. A. Goddess seated on a throne with back, with a cornucopiæ in l. hand and a fillet in r. On the right *Parakrama*; in the left upper corner a symbol.
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(Pl. XIX. 5)
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Kācha
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CHAKRADHVAJA TYPE
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Gold; .8"; weight not known; American Numismatic Society, New York.
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*Obv:* As usual; circular legend (I), *Kacha gamavajatya dava kama[bhi]ruttama jayati*.
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*Rev:* As usual; legend, *Sarvarajachchhetta*.
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This coin is just like other coins of Kācha, but it is included in this addenda because of its fine workmanship and almost perfectly preserved legend. *Da* of *divam* is outside the staff of the standard and *va* is just touching it. *Bhi* of *karmabhi* is omitted in the die. The last letter *ti* is coalescing with the halo.
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Chandragupta II
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LION-SLAYER TYPE
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CLASS II
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(King looking left)
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Variety F
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Gold; .8"; 118.6 grains; N. S. Singhi's Collection, Calcutta.
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*Obv:* King to l. looking defiantly at a lion in his front, but not stretching the bow, whose string is outside. Circular legend, mostly off the coin.
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*Rav:* Goddess seated on lion, walking to left. Legend, *Samhavikrama*.
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(Pl. XIX. 6)
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This is a new variety of the Lion-slayer type, Class I. The coin is similar to the one illustrated on Pl. XIX. 1. but here the king is looking to left and not to right. There is another coin of this variety in the collection of Mr. D. Hamilton² of Killick Nixon Company, Bombay, which was purchased as far as away as at Hassan Abdal in Pakistan.
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² This collection has been acquired by the Bharat Kala Bhavan, Hindu University, in 1956.
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LION-SLAYER TYPE
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CLASS II
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Variety K
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Gold; 8"; 120 grains; State Museum, Lucknow.¹
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¹ J.N.S.I., XV, p. 81 and Pl. III. 2.
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*Obv:* King facing right and trampling upon a huge lion (which is collapsing) by his l. foot and also shooting arrow at it. Legend, *Nara*.
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*Rev:* Goddess sitting astride on lion walking to left; there is cornucopiæ in the left hand; the right hand, which is half stretched, seems to be pointing out at something in front.
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This new variety is similar to the var. H of this class illustrated on Pl. VI. 15, but the goddess on the reverse is sitting astride the lion walking to left, and not with here feet folded up.
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(7) HORSEMAN TYPE
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CLASS II
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Variety C¹
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¹ J.N.S.I., XV. p. 80,
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(Same as variety A, but goddess on the reverse standing) Gold; .7"; 121 grains; Lucknow Museum. *Obv:* King riding to right without weapons; the usual legend fairly well preserved. *Rev:* Goddess standing facing, holding a small garland in the left hand and a lotus in the right. Legend, *Ajitavikramaḥ*.
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This is the only coin of the Horseman type of Chandragupta II, which shows goddess on the reverse standing. (Pl. XIX. 8)
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(8) CHHATRA TYPE
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CLASS II
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Variety D
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(A new sub-variety) Gold; .85"; 125.3 grains; Bharat Kala Bhavan, Banaras Hindu University. *Obv:* As usual. The king wears a beautiful crown and the two rows of *puroḍāśas* are shown artistically falling from his opened out hand. Legend, (I) *Kshatamavajata*; faint traces of letters on left.
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*Rev*: Goddess walking three fourths to left; her hair tied in a knot on the top of the head and legs not crossing each other.
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(Pl. XIX. 11)
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This is a usual coin of the Chattra type class II, Var. D, where the goddess is shown as walking; her legs however are not shown as crossing each other, as is usually the case on other coins of this variety.
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It is however not unlikely that the intention may have been to show the goddess standing on a mat three-fourth to left; in that case it would be a new sub-variety of class II var. A.
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KING-AND-QUEEN-ON-COUCH TYPE OF CHANDRAGUPTA II
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We have discussed a coin of this type on pp. 138-140 and illustrated it on Pl. IX. 6. This was the coin found by Byod near Ayodhyā and published and illustrated by him in *Pr. A.S.B.*, 1888, pp. 129-30 and Pl. IV. The photograph of the coin published by Hoernle was very poor and I could not make much progress in reading the legend.
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Recently I got a better cast and photograph of this coin through the kindness of Rai Krishna Das, Hon. Curator, Bharat Kala Bhavan, Hindu University, Banaras, which I am publishing on Pl. XIX. 9. This photograph now enables us to solve the mystery of the legend to a very great extent.
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The circle taken as a mark of abbreviation by Hoernle is obviously the normal form of the letter *tha*; a small dot can be clearly seen within it at some places; see the first and third *tha* in the legend on the left; Pl. XIX. 10. Hoernle read the first two letters at *Para*; the new photograph shows that the letter *pa* is not on the flan and *ra* is quite distinct; I take it to be the first letter of the legend. The second letter is not a dot of abbreviation but the letter *tha*; its medial vowel, if any, has not come out. The next two letters are *matha*; the first four letters are thus *rathamatha*. Hoernle took the next three letters as *bhaga* followed by a dot of abbreviation. The letter *bha* looks like a *ta* in Gupta palæography; and the last letter is a clear *tha*. It is difficult to propose a definite reading of the letter in between these two; I think that it is probably a badly engraved *ra*. The seven letters of the legend on the right are thus *Rathamathatara(?)tha*, with appropriate medial vowels to be supplied.
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The first three letters on the right hand side are *pravaraḥ*. Hoernle had taken the word as *pravīraḥ*; there is a mark above *va*, looking like that of short medial *i*, but not like that of long medial *ī*. There is no such word as *pravīraḥ* in Sanskrit, and the reading *pravīraḥ* will go against the metre, as we shall soon see. The new photograph shows that Hoernle’s reading of the last two letters as *gupta* is untenable; the first letter is clearly a *ksha*, the subscript *sha* being distinct, and the last letter is a *ta* and not *pta*.
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I therefore take the letters of the legend as *Rathamathatara(?)thapravaraḥ kshata*.
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These letters can supply a meaning only if we insert suitable medial vowels, which are often not engraved in Gupta legends. I take the legend to be a quartrain in the Drutavilambita metre and would read it as *Rathimatho’tirathapravaraḥ kshitau* ‘(King Chandragupta) who is pre-eminent (*pravaraḥ*) on the earth among unrivalled chariot-warriors (*atirathaḥ*), is the destroyer of chariot-warriors (*rathimathaḥ*). *Atiratha* is a common word in Sanskrit for an unrivalled chariot warrior; we have similar words like *mahāratha*, *ekaratha*, etc. *Rathimathaḥ* is rather an unusual combination, but I do not know what other restoration can be suggested out of the four indisputable letters *rathamatha*. *Rathimathaḥ* can be understood as *rathinaḥ mathnāti asau rathimathaḥ*, “one who destroys chariot-warriors.” The medial *i* mark of *thi* is fairly clear on the plate.
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This coin has been already described on p. 140,
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A SECOND COIN OF THIS TYPE
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A second coin of this type was sent to me by Rai Krishna Das for examination. It is illustrated on Pl. XIX. 10. I am informed that this coin was acquired in Delhi. Its obverse and reverse are identical with those of the coin published by Hoernle and discussed above; but its circular legend is different. This need not surprise us, for we have other instances of the same type of this ruler like the Lion-slayer and the Chhatra types, whose circular legends differ though the type is the same.
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The legend on this coin, it seems, begins at II. The first five letters are *Prarathamathā*. Then the legend is broken by the figure of the king and restarts at VIII. The first six letters on the left are *kshitimabhipāta*; we have to supply suitable medial vowels. These letters are followed by faint traces of *da* and *va*. I am inclined to assume that some letters of the legend are off the flan below the feet of the king and we have therefore to supply them. I take them to be *dhiruhya*. The whole legend was most probably *Prarathamathā[dhiruhya]kshitimabhipāta (divaṃ jayati)*, ‘Ascending the excellent chariot (*praratha*), the pre-eminent protector (*abhipāta*) of the earth conquers heaven also.’ The reading *(m)abhipāta* is certain; we have to supply the medial vowel only to the last letter. In terms like *abhidharma*, *abhitāmra*, *abhi* denotes intensity or superiority; the same is the case with the term *abhipāta*. The context shows that the three missing letters after *Prarathamathā* can hardly have been any others than *dhiruhya*.
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We shall now describe the coin:—
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*Obv:* Gold; .8"; 117.4 grains; Bharat Kala Bhavan, Banaras. Same as on Pl. IX. 6. The king’s conical cap is more distinct; both he and the altar in his front are on a pedestal. The letters under the arm *Chandra* are quite distinct. Circular legend beginning at II, *Prarathamathā[dhiruhya] kshitimabhipāta (divaṃ jayati)*.
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*Rev:* As on Pl. IX. 6. The object in the king's hand is indistinct. The four *ṭapdār* legs of the couch, two feet of the queen and one of the king which are all hanging down, and the spitoon are quite distinct. Legend, on the left, *Śrīvi*, on the right, *kramaḥ*. No symbol.
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COPPER COINS OF CHANDRAGUPTA II¹
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¹ *J.N.S.I.*, XV. p. 88.
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CLASS VII
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(11) Copper; .5"; 18 grains; American Numismatic Society.
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*Obv:* Bust of the king to left (?), bearing large earrings. *Rev:* The entire field covered with legend in big characters; *Śrī-Cha(ndra?)*.
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The bust is so crude that it is difficult to say whether it is facing left or right.
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Only on the Vase type of this ruler is the entire reverse field covered by the legend *Śrī-Chandra*. This is a new type where there is the bust on the obverse and the reverse is covered entirely by the legend. (Pl. XIXB. 7)
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BUST TYPE²
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² *Ibid*, XIII. p. 103.
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CLASS V
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(12) Copper; .4"; 95 grains; D. Hamilton's Collection.
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*Obv:* In an oval of dots, a crude bust of king to left, having large ears. *Rev:* Field divided by a horizontal line; Garuḍa in the upper part and legend in the lower, *Chandragupta*. (Pl. XIXB. 8)
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The very rude bust of this coin appears to imitate the Kshatrapa prototype. Mr. D. Hamilton, who has published the coin, thinks that the king is facing right and that the coin has a Sassanian fabric. The bust is too crude to be dogmatic about its Sassanian or Kshatrapa affinity.
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A COPPER COIN OF CHANDRAGUPTA II (?)
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(13) Copper; .75"; 42.5 grains; American Numismatic Society.¹
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¹ *J.N.S.I.*, XV. p. 88.
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*Obv:* Bust of the king to left, wearing a crest and a large ear-ring and covering the entire flan.
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*Rev:* Garuḍa with outstretched wing covering the entire flan.
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(Pl. XIXB. 9)
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The obverse and the reverse motifs suggest that the coin was probably issued by Chandragupta II, but in the absence of the legend, this attribution can be only tentative. No copper coin of this ruler is so far known, which shows Garuḍa covering the entire surface of the reverse.
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GOLD-COATED COPPER COIN OF CHANDRAGUPTA II
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Silver-coated copper coins of the Guptas are not uncommon, but gold-coated coins are rare. We describe one such coin from the collection of Mr. J. Das, ex-Manager of the Court of Wards, Allahabad.
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Copper; with traces of gold above it: .85"; weight not known; J. Das Collection.
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*Obv:* King standing to left holding bow in the l. hand and arrow in the right. *Chandra* under the l. arm; traces of circular legend.
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*Rev:* Lakshmī seated on lotus holding a lotus in the l. hand and a noose in the right. Symbol in the upper left quadrant. Legend on the right, *Śrīvikramaḥ*.
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(Pl. XIXB. 10)
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The present coin now looks almost entirely as copper, but the traces of yellowness indicate that it was once gold-coated. The size and the motifs of the Gupta copper coins are entirely different from those of the gold ones, and so it is clear that this coin was not intended to pass off as a copper piece. The coin is struck from the die of a gold coin of the Archer type of Chandragupta II. Gupta empire was at the height of its prosperity in his reign and it is very unlikely that the Government could have sanctioned or connived at the issues of gold-coated copper pieces. It is possible that some mint masters might have surreptitiously issued a few such pieces for personal profit, or some persons in the post-Gupta age might have fabricated such dies for issuing gold-coated coins. This fraud seems to have been practised not quite rarely, for the collction of Mr. Das, which was collected in northern U. P., contains a copper coin of Huvishka entirely in imitation of the gold type with Ardoksho on the reverse and another coin of Kumāra-gupta I of the Horseman type exactly imitating this gold type in copper.
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Kumāragupta I
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Gold; .8"; 120 grains; American Numismatic Society. *Obv:* Rude figure of the king offerring oblations on altar. Dwarf behind him, holding an umbrella. Faint traces of the circular legend. *Rev:* Goddess standing on a mat with lotus in the left hand and a noose in the right. Legend, *Mahendrāditya*. (Pl. XIX. 13)
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Only two coins of this type were so far known from the Bayana hoard. The coin being illustrated here in the 3rd coin of the type, but of poor workmanship, as compared to the one published on on Pl. XIII. 15. Its reverse legend is *Mahendrāditya* and not *Śrīmahendrāditya*, as on the coins in the Bayana hoard.
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HOARSEMAN TYPE
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CLASS II
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Variety E
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(Legend the same as in Class II, Var. C, but ending with *divam jayati* and not with *jayatyajitaḥ*) Gold; .81"; 127.2 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XXV. 10. *Obv:* King, not nimbate, riding on caparisoned horse to r. bare-headed, with curly hair falling on the neck, wearing coat and probably trousers, holding no weapons. Circular legend, beginning at I:— *Ksha(i)tipat[irajito vijayī Kumāragu]pta(o)dava jayati (divaṃ jayati).*
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*Rev:* Goddess, nimbate, seated facing left on wicker stool, offering an object held between the thumb and the fore-finger to peacock whose neck only is just visible, and holding lotus with long stalk in the l. hand, resting on waist.
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No symbol.
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*Ajitamahendraḥ.*
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(Pl. XIX. 14)
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RHINOCEROS-SLAYER TYPE—A SIXTH COIN
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We have illustrated four coins of this type and referred to a fifth one on p. 197. Recently Mr. P. J. Chinmulgund, I.C.S., District Magistrate of Poona, acquired a sixth coin of this type from a Delhi dealer and has published it in *J.N.S.I.*, XVII, part II, pp. 104-6 and Pl. IX. 5. Unfortunately the photograph published is rather poor in quality and is perhaps not to the size. The diameter of this coin is .72" and weight 123.9 grains. The type and motifs are the same as those on the coins published here on Pl. XIII. 3-6. It is stated that the concluding letters of the circular legend on the obverse, *Kumāragupto jayatyaniśam* are more distinct than those on the coins in the Bayana hoard; but the photograph is too poor to enable us to appreciate the remark.
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The reverse legend is *Mahendrakhadga*.
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A DEFECTIVE SILVER COIN OF KUMĀRAGUPTA I (?)
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The collection of the late Munirāja Vidyāvijayaji of Shivapuri in Madhyabharat contains a peculiar silver coin, a photograph of which was kindly sent to me by Dr. H. V. Trivedi. This silver coin (Pl. XIXB. 13) is of the Western Indian type, showing the Kshatrapa bust on the obverse along with a number of degraded Greek letters around it. The reverse shows the usual device of Garuḍa. The circular legend is the usual one, but shows some peculiarities. After the letters *Parama-bhagavata-maharaja-śra*, we have two letters which can be read as *Paku* or *Pakra* or *Maku* or *Makra*, *ma* being taken as of the eastern variety. Then follow the letters, *gupta-Mahendraditya*.
c19.141
Who was the issuer of this coin is the problem before us. *Mahendrāditya* was a *biruda* of Kumāragupta I, but the personal name of the issuer of this coin seems *prima facie* to have been something different from Kumāra. I am inclined to think that the legend is defective and the issuer was none other than Kumāragupta I.
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There are several silver coins of this ruler with defectively engraved legends, or with incomplete legends. They show readings like *rajadhaśra-Kumara*, *jadharaśra-Kumara*, *rajadharaśra-Kumara*, *jadhaśra-Kumara*, *jaśra-Kumara*, etc.¹ In the the last mentioned defective legend occurring on B. M. No. 384, *śra* is preceded by a superfluous *ma*; on the present coin also *śra* is seen preceded by a superfluous letter. It is true that this letter looks like a usual *pa*. But square-base forms of *ma* do occur on the silver coins of Kumāragupta I; see Pl. XVI. 8. at I. I therefore think that on our coin the legend here is *śrama-Kugupta*.
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¹ B.M.C., G.D., pp. 105-7.
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We can omit this *ma* as a superfluous letter as on B. M. No. 384 and take the legend to be *Kugupta*, which was intended to be an abbreviation of Kumāragupta. This emperor has abridged his name into the letter *Ku* on one variety of his Archer and Tiger-slayer type; see *ante*, pp. 171-2, 193. The same is seen on some of his copper coins; see *ante*. p. 239. The same might have been done on the present piece.
c19.145
Alternatively it is possible to suggest that the engraver anticipated the letter *ma* too early and engraved it before *Ku*, and in the consequent confusion of his mind forgot to engrave *ra* altogether, giving us the legend *maKugupta* in stead of *Kumāragupta*.
c19.146
We now describe the coin.
c19.147
Silver; .55"; 32.4 grains; Muni Vidyavijaya Collection. *Obv:* Bust of the king to right; in its front Greek letters, IIOIO; no traces of date. *Rev:* Garuḍa in the centre; a crescent on one side and a cluster of dots on the other; legend (II), *Paramabha-gavata-maharaja-sra-ma* (or *pa*) *Kugupta-Mahandradatya*. (Pl. XIXB. 12)
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HORSEMAN TYPE IN COPPER
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Copper coins of Kumāragupta are few and confined to the Altar type. Recently a copper coin of this ruler has been traced in the collection of Mr. J. Das of Allahabad, which is of the Horseman type. Copper coins of Chandragupta II and Kumāra-gupta I have different designs, shapes and weights than those of the gold coins of these rulers. This copper coin however is of the size of the gold coin of the Horseman type; its photograph in the Plate is in enlarged size. It seems to have had the circular legend of the variety C of the Horseman type of Kumāragupta, namely, *Kshitipatirajito vijayī Kumāragupto jayatyajitaḥ*; only a few letters have been preserved. The reverse is also the same, namely, goddess seated on the wicker stool and feeding a peacock. As Gupta rulers had distinctive types for their copper coinage, it is not unlikely that the present coin was issued from a die of the gold coin of the Horseman type. It is not unlikely that it might have been originally gold-plated. If such was the case, it might have been during the hard times that overtook the Gupta empire towards the end of Kumāra-gupta’s reign, gold-plated coins might have been issued, which now appear as copper pieces. More evidence is however, necessary before we can accept this conclusion as a historical fact.
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We shall now describe the coin.
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Copper coated with gold (?); .8". photo not to size; 92 grains; J. Das Collection. *Obv:* King on horse to right; faint traces of circular legend, *Kshi* . . . . . *tyajita*.
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*Rev:* Goddess seated on wicker stool to left holding a fillet in right hand and the left one resting on the waist; legend on r., *Ajitamahendraḥ*. (Pl. XIXB. 11)
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This coin type would be of class II, var. C of the Horseman type of this ruler; see p. 182, Pl. XI. 9-10.
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WEIGHT OF THE GOLD COIN OF GHAṬOTKACHA(GUPTA)
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On p. 264, we have described the solitary gold coin of Ghaṭo(tkachagupta) in the Leningrad Museum. At that time the weight of the coin could not be ascertained and given. The First Secretary of the Embassy of the U.S.S.R., New Delhi, kindly made the necessary enquiry and informed Mr. P. L. Gupta that the weight of the coin is 9.16 grammes or 141.22 grains. This weight shows that its issuer could not have been the father of Chandragupta I. He must have flourished sometime after 450 A. D., when the issue of heavy weight coins was started by Skandagupta.
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Prakāśāditya¹
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¹ *J.N.S.I.*, XV. p. 86-7.
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(With the letter *ma* in the field)
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Gold; .8"; 145.6 grains; American Numismatic Society.
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*Obv:* King riding to right and attacking a leaping lion by sword; bow round his body and its string over the shoulder. Traces of truncated legend, not decipherable. The concluding part does not seem to be *vijitya vasudhām divam jayati*, as was conjecturally restored by J. Allan.
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Under the horse, the letter *ma*.
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*Rev:* Lakshmi seated on lotus, her legs folded like a pillow; lotus in the left hand and noose in the right. *Śri-Prakāśādata*.
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(Pl. XIX. 15)
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The coins of Prakāśāditya, published so far, showed the letter *u* or *ru* under the horse; the present coin, however, has the letter *ma* in that place, which so far was not known to be occurring there.
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CLAY MOULDS FOR GOLD COINS OF NARASIMHAGUPTA¹
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¹ A.S.I., A.R., 1935-6, p. 52, Pl. XVII. d.
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Narasimhagupta Bālāditya was closely connected with the Monastic University of Nālandā. During the excavations of 1935-36, carried on at this University on the site of Monastery 12, two clay moulds were discovered, whose external diameter was 1⅛" and internal diameter ¾". On one mould there is the figure of the king standing with bow and arrow, with the name *Nara* written under the arm, and on the other there is the figure of Lakshmī seated on lotus, holding lotus in one hand and noose in the other. A gold coin discovered at Nālandā is stated to be exactly fitting this mould. It would therefore appear that king Bālāditya, who was one of the great patrons of Nālandā, had apparently taken some moulds of his gold coins in order to give donations in golden *dīnāras* for the different needs of the University. Tradition states that he retired to Nālandā in his old age and lived there as a monk.
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We shall now describe the moulds as well as their casts. The photographs of the two halfs of the mould are not to the size but smaller; they are in the upper row and those of the casts in the lower one.
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Clay mould; external diameter, 1⅛"; internal diameter 1⅛"; Nālandā Museum.
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*Obv:* A graceful figure of the king standing to left with bow in the right hand and arrow in the left. Garuḍa standard in front of the king. Below his l. arm, *Nara*. (Pl. XIXB. 5)
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*Rev:* Lakshmī to front seated on lotus, holding lotus in l. hand and noose in the right. Symbol in the left upper corner; legend on the right, illegible. (Pl. XIXB. 6)
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ADDITIONAL HOARDS
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In the section on Hoards and Finds (pp. 305–316) the following were omitted by oversight.
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BAMNALA HOARD : This hoard was found in 1940 at the village Bamnala in Nimar district of new Madhya Pradesh; it was scattered under the surface of a road, along with a gold bar, weighing 11 tolas and 10 māshas. The hoard contained 8 coins of Samudragupta (7 of the Standard type and one of the Lyrist type, var. B), nine of Chandragupta II (all of the Archer type, class II) and four of Kumāragupta I (two of the Archer, one of the Horseman and one of the Tiger-slayer type). One of the Standard type coins of Samudragupta of this hoard had the biruda Vikrama; the Horseman type coin had the letter si inscribed under the foot-stool of the goddess. (J.N.S.I., V, 135).
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KUSUMBHI HOARD: This hoard of Gupta gold coins was found in 1947 at Kusumbhi in Unao district of U.P., while digging for the extension of a distributory canal of the Gaṅgā. 29 coins were acquired from this hoard, of which three were of Samudragupta, Standard type, 19 of Chandragupta II, (17 of the Archer type, and one each of the Chhatra and Lion-slayer types), and two of Kumāragupta I, one of the Archer and one of the Horseman type (J.N.S.I., XV. p. 82).
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JESSORE HORD: This find was made at Muhammadpur near Jessore and is described in J.A.S.B., 1852, pp. 401-2. Silver coins of Chandragupta II, Kumāragupta I and Skandagupta are said to have been found in this hoard, which looks rather improbable. Among the gold coins, there was one coin of the Rājalilā type of Samāchāradeva, one of Śaśāṅka and one belonging to the class of Later Imitations of the Gupta gold coins; B.M.C., G.D., p. cxxvii.
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THE PROBLEM OF KĀCHA AND RĀMAGUPTA
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As the book was in type for more than eight years and in the press for more than four years, some discrepancies have crept in about the time and position of Kācha and Rāmagupta. The statement on p. 4 that the whole position about Kācha and Rāmagupta is very obscure is still true and we are not yet in a position to arrive at a definite conclusion. The second sentence on p. 3 is suffering from a serious omission of the opening words, ‘Some hold that’; its correct form is ‘Some hold that a king named Kācha flourished at about this time and may have been the cause of this war.’ And now there is no contradiction between it and the statement on p. 87, 11. 16-7 that ‘We have tentatively assumed that Kācha was a Gupta king and came after Samudragupta.’ Of course there are difficulties in this position also, if we assume that Samudragupta was succeeded by Rāmagupta; for we shall have to place two kings between Samudragupta and Chandragupta II. Another possibility is that Kācha might have raised the standard of revolt when Samudragupta was far away in the Deccan. In that case we can explain the high artistic merit of his coin-type and there will be only one king between Samudragupta and Chandragupta II. The whole position about Kācha and Rāmagupta is too obscure to permit any definite conclusion.
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The position of the Chapter on Rāmagupta is rather anomalous; I tentatively hold that there was such a king preceding Chandragupta II, and so the chapter on his coinage should have preceded the chapter on the coinage of the last-mantioned emperor. In the original manuscript, the copper coins of Kācha were merely an appendage to the chapter on the silver and copper coins of Chandragupta II, as will be seen from the Hindi edition of this book published in 1954. During my absence in America in 1954, owing to some misunderstanding, this section got separated into a separate chapter and was placed in the book after the coins of Chandragupta II. If Rāmagupta was the elder brother of Chandragupta II, this arrangement is unchronological and illogical; but on my return from America I found that it was too late to change it, as the preceding chapters had been printed off.
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MISCELLANEOUS CORRECTIONS
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KUMĀRAGUPTA I, ARCHER TYPE, p. 170
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In l. 5 add ‘and holds bow at the top’ after the word ‘hair.’
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KUMĀRAGUPTA I, HORSEMAN TYPE, p. 181
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L. 18; add at its end, ‘with low back.’
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KUMĀRAGUPTA I, HORSEMAN TYPE, VAR. B, p. 181
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One coin of this variety in the Bamnala hoard is stated to have the letter *si* below the stool of the goddess on the reverse (*J.N.S.I.*, V, p. 143; Pl. IXA. 20). The plate however is too indistinct to verify the point. If really there is this letter on the reverse, this coin will constitute a new sub-variety.
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KUMĀRAGUPTA I, SWORDSMAN TYPE, p. 182
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In l. 24, after the word ‘hand,’ add ‘sword in the right.’
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KUMĀRAGUPTA I, APRATIGHA TYPE, p. 210
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The term *apratigha* has been interpreted as ‘invincible in his resolution’ on p. 210. This meaning, invincible, is common in the epics and classical literature. But a better meaning can be suggested. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, *pratigha* is something which destroys roots of merit; it is one of the six *kleśas*, causing bondage. It consists of anger, aversion, repugnance, loathing, resistence and hostility. So when this coin-type describes Kumāragupta I as *apratigha*, it seeks to convey that he was above anger, aversion, etc. His dress shows that he had become a monk; the adjective suggests that he had made considerable spiritual progress. Entreaties of the Queen or the Commander-in-Chief could not move him.
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SKANDAGUPTA, ARCHER TYPE, p. 243
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On some coins of this variety in the British Museum, single letters, *ja* or *bha*, appear between the feet of the king. The letter *ja* on *B.M.C.G.D.* XIX. 1. is however quite indistinct, but *bha* is possible on Pl. XIX. 3. As the letters are not distinct, we have not illustrated the coins.
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SKANDAGUPTA, CLASS III, p. 254
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Add at the end of l. 9, ‘*Parama(bhāgavata)śrī Skandaguptaḥ*, (Pl. XXV. 14) in var. C.’
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VAINYAGUPTA, p. 282
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L. 25, add at the end of the line after putting a comma, ‘*Para......śrī-Dvādaśādityaḥ*’. The letters ‘*śādatya* at the end are fairly clear. The letter *bha* between the feet of the king.’
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ADDENDUM
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A dealer in Delhi has got a Lyrist type coin of Samudragupta, variety A, on which he claims that the king is shown bare-headed. I recently (on 24-4-1957) examined a rather indistinct photograph of this coin and am not quite snre that the claim is justified.
Linked texts (2)
- Śatapathabrāhmaṇa — Yājñavalkya & Śāṇḍilya (Vedic teacher), Sanskrit
- Nālandā