The Age of the Imperial Guptas c10.131

c10.131

The circular legend on the obverse has not been read, but perhaps it is the same as in the lighter Archer type.² The silver coinage of Skandagupta is as varied as that of his father. The Garuḍa type was issued for circulation in Western India as we see the bust of the king surrounded by traces of the Greek legend on the obverse and a Garuḍa on the reverse. The reverse legend is *Paramabhāgavata - Mahārājādhirāja - Śrī - Skandagupta-Kramādityaḥ*.¹ The second silver type is the bull in which there is no Greek legend on the obverse but Śiva's bull, Nandin, on the reverse. The legend on this type of the silver coinage is always defective. The third type, the Altar type, is remarkable on account of the title *Vikramāditya* assumed by Skandagupta in it, because his usual *Āditya*-name on silver and copper coins is *Kramāditya*. In this Altar type the Greek legend re-appears once more on the obverse but on the reverse we see a fire burning on an altar. The legend is very often defective and runs as *Paramabhāgavata - Śrī - Vikramāditya - Skandaguptaḥ*.² Allan divides the Altar type into two classes according to the use of the term *Kramāditya* instead of *Vikramāditya*.³ There are two classes in the silver coinage of Skandagupta issued for use in Central India. This Central Indian type can be distinguished from the West Indian type by the difference in the marginal legend on the reverse. The West Indian type of the silver coinage always begins with the word *Paramabhāgavata* and the Central Indian Issue with *Vijit-* *āvanir-avani-patir-jayati*, etc.,. The Central Indian Issue of Skandagupta are divided into two classes according to a slight difference in the legend. In both classes we find:—