The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c9.s6.8

c9.s6.8

The reverse motif of this type, Goddess or a female seated on a wicker stool, is rather an unusual motif in the Hindu art, but it may be due to the mint-master's desire to introduce a new variation in the posture of the deity. Smith points out that this type is an exact copy of Demeter as represented on a rare coin from Paros island in the British Museum;³ but unless it is shown that this rare coin-type or its imitation was well known in India, we cannot accept the view that the Gupta mint-masters are copying a foreign type in the present case. The reverse motif of this type became subsequently popular; it is to be seen on the Horseman types of Chandragupta II and Kumāragupta I.