The Age of the Imperial Guptas c10.21.1

c10.21.1

The remaining types of the gold coinage of Samudragupta may be called freak types and medals, except the Battle-Axe type which is a regular development of the Kushan standing king type. In this type as in the Archer type the king holds a battle-axe (*Paraśu*) in the place of the standard or the bow. The legend shows in certain varieties the syllable *Kṛi* under the king’s left arm. Allan divides this type into three varieties. The first shows the name *Samudra* in a vertical line under the left arm. Surrounding the entire flan on the obverse is the larger legend *Kṛitānta-paraśur-jayaty-ajita-rājā jet=ajitah*. The second variety shows the name of the king in two parallel vertical lines as *Samudragupta*. In the third variety we find the syllable *Kṛi*.¹ In all three variety the reverse shows the figure of a goddess seated on a throne with the legend *Kṛitānta-paraśuḥ*.² The rarest of Samudragupta’s freak types is the Tiger type in which we see on the obverse “King standing *l.*, wearing turban, waistcloth, necklace, ear-rings, and armlets, trampling on a tiger which falls backwards as he shoots it with bow in *r.* hand, *l.* hand drawing bow back behind ear; on *l.*; behind tiger crescent-topped standard as on Battle-axe type.” The difference between this type and the regular types of the gold coinage of Samudragupta is that the king’s name does not appear on the obverse at all, nor is there any circular legend. Under the left arm appears the legend *Vyāghra-parākramaḥ*.