The Age of the Imperial Guptas c10.18

c10.18

The reverse is characteristic of Great Kushan or later Great Kuṣāṇa coinage. “Goddess (Lakṣmī) seated facing on throne, nimbate, wearing loose robe, necklace, and armlets, holding fillet in outstretched *r.* hand and cornucopiæ in *l.* arm; her feet rest on lotus; traces of back of throne on *r.* of most specimens; border of dots. Symbol on *l.* on *r.* *Parākramaḥ*.¹” The variations in the varieties of the gold coinage of Samudragupta are mostly on the obverse, the reverse changing very rarely. Thus in the second type we find “King standing *l.*, nimbate, dressed as in preceding type, holding bow in *l.* hand, while *r.* holds arrow, the head of which rests on ground; Garuḍa standard on *l.* the name of the king is written vertically. The legend on the obverse is *Apratiratho vijitya kṣitiṃ sucaritair-divaṃ jayati* And that on the reverse is *Apratirathaḥ*. In the coins of Samudragupta the obverse legend is sufficient to identify the type of its coins. Allan divides the Archer type into two varieties for a slight difference in the obverse legend.²