The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c7.10

c7.10

In its initial stages, the Gupta gold coinage does show some foreign influence, but it is Kushāṇa rather than Roman. Even in the marriage scene depicted upon the coinage of Chandragupta I (Pl. I. 8-13), the Gupta emperor is shown as wearing Kushāṇa coat and trousers. He does not discard it even when offering oblations on altar in the Standard type (Pl. I. 14-15). The goddess on the reverse on early coins is an exact copy of Ardoxsho with cornucopiæ in her hand seated on a high-backed throne (Pl. I. 14-15); only her name is omitted. Contrary to Hindu canons of propriety, Samudragupta is shown as his own standard-bearer (Pl. II. 1-7), simply because such was the case with the king on the Kushāṇa coins, which were being imitated by the Gupta mint-masters.