Coins of Gupta Period (Samudragupta & Chandragupta II)

Coins of Gupta Period (c.320-550
CE)
Samudragupta (335-380CE)
Chandragupta II (380-415 CE)
Sachin Kr. Tiwary

ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gupta_Empire#/media/File:South_Asia_historical
• The Gupta Empire was an ancient
Indian empire existing from the
mid-to-late 300 CE to 543 CE.
• At its zenith, from approximately
319 to 543 CE, it covered much
of the Indian subcontinent.
• This period is considered as
the Golden Age of India by some
historians.
• The ruling dynasty of the empire
was founded by the king
Sri Gupta; the most notable rulers
of the dynasty
were Chandragupta
I, Samudragupta,
and Chandragupta
II alias Vikramaditya.
• The 5th-century
CE Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits
the Guptas with having conquered
about twenty-one kingdoms,
both in and outside India,

Coins
of Gupta
Dynasty
Location
Indian Sub-
continent
Date
c. 320- 550
CE
Material
Gold, Silver
Copper,
LeadPurpose
Commemo-
ration,
Trade
Shape
Round,
Semi
Square,
Square
Measureme
nt
Vary Metal
wise
Weight
12 g and 1.5 g.
Types
Gold- 08
(Samudragupta)
Gold-06,Silver-02,
Copper-02, Lead-01
(Chandragupta II)
Languages
Sanskrit
Influenced by
Kushana
Period
Influenced to
Indian
Coinage
System
Scripts
Brahmi
POINT TO BE DISCUSS
Technique
Die-struck
with Precision

Introduction
• The high points of this period are the great cultural
developments which took place primarily during the reigns
of Samudragupta, Chandragupta II and Kumaragupta I.
• Many of the literary sources, such
as Mahabharata and Ramayana, were canonized during this
period.
• The Gupta period produced scholars such
as Kalidasa, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, and Vatsyayana who
made great advancements in many academic fields.
• Science and political administration reached new heights
during the Gupta era.
• The period gave rise to achievements in architecture,
sculpture, and painting that "set standards of form and taste
[that] determined the whole subsequent course of art, not
only in India but far beyond her borders".
• Strong trade ties also made the region an important cultural
centre and established the region as a base that would
influence nearby kingdoms and regions in South Asia

Gupta
Coins
Can
explain
Contemporar
y
Flora
Contemporar
y
Fauna
Important
Symbols
Religious-
Secular
Technical
Advancement
TradeTerritory of
an Empire
Trade
Relation
Internal &
External
Paleographic
al
Development
Variety of
Weapons
Contemporar
y Dresses
Iconic forms
of God-
Goddess
Musical Tools Contemporar
y Ornaments

Coinage History of Gupta Period
• According to some scholars, the most glorious
period of ancient Indian history is the rule of the
Gupta dynasty.
• The Guptas started their rule from a small state in
eastern India.
• Gradually their rule extended over a large part of
south Asia.
• The first of the significant Gupta rulers was
Chandragupta I.
• The most famous ruler of this dynasty was
Samudragupta.
• India prospered in almost every sphere of life during
this period.
• The flourishing state of economy can be ascertained
from the large number of gold coins circulated by
different Gupta rulers.
• The Gupta gold coin is known as Dinaras.
• The gold coins of the Gupta rulers are the
extraordinary examples of artistic excellence. The
Lead
Silver
GoldBronze
Copper
METAL USED FOR MAKING COINS

• The rate of gold in Indian coins under
the rule of Gupta rulers demonstrated
a consistent monetary decay
throughout the hundreds of years as it
declines from 90% unadulterated gold
under Chandragupta I (319-335) to a
unimportant 75-80% under
Skandagupta.
• The Gold Coins of Guptas inscriptions
in Sanskrit, are the finest case of the
brilliant Indian craftsmanship that we
have.
• Their period begins from around 320
CE with Chandragupta I’s promotion of
the throne. Child of Chandragupta I-
Samudragupta, the genuine author of
the Gupta Empire had coinage made of
gold.
• The Silver Coins of Guptas begins after
the Western Satraps were overthrown
by Chandragupta II.
Maharaja Sri Gupta inscription on the Allahabad pillar Samudragupta inscription
Ma ha raa ja Sri Gu p
Gupta & Ghatotkacha are not attested by his own Inscriptions or Coins.
Maharaja Sri Ghatotkacha inscription on the Allahabad pillar Samudragupta inscription
Ma ha ra ja Sri Gha to tka
cha
Chandragupta I
(c.319-335/319-
350 CE)
Gold Coin of
Kumaradevi Type.

•The artists depicted the ruler in various
poses.
•The study of these imageries is very
interesting.
•Mainly the images celebrated the martial
qualities and the valor of the ruler.
•In many coins of Samudragupta, he is
depicted as carrying an axe.
•In others, he is carrying a bow in his left hand
and an arrow in his right hand.
•The coins of Kumaragupta I (c. 415-450 CE)
depicted him riding an elephant and killing a
lion.
•Another very interesting image of
Samudragupta depicted him as playing a
‘veena’, a stringed musical instrument.
•There are also some instances of Gupta coins
which were jointly issued by the king and the
Kachagupta of the Gupta Empire
Samudragupta of the Gupta Empire

•These coins depicted both the figures of the king
and queen in a standing pose.
•Kumaradevi, the name of the queen of Chandragupta
I is known from these coins.
•But the other two kings did not mention the name of
their queens in their joint issues.
•The ‘Asvamedha’ or horse-sacrifice coins were
issued by both Samudragupta and Kumaragupta I.
•Horse sacrifice is an ancient Indian ritual in which a
very powerful monarch sacrificed a horse after some
elaborate rituals to demonstrate his political power.
•A very few among the ancient kings of India had
performed this sacrifice as it was allowed for only
those with enormous power and wealth. The fact that
two of the Gupta monarchs performed it is evident
from their coins.
•It also showed their immense power and wealth.
•Almost every Gupta coin carried the figure of a
goddess and an inscription in the reverse. Sanskrit
was the language of the inscription. The goddess
Ramagupta of the Gupta Empire
Chandragupta of the Gupta Empire
Kumaragupta I of the Gupta Empire

•There were many goddess depicted in these coins.
The most common was the image of Laxmi, the
goddess of wealth.
•Other goddesses who featured in the Gupta coins
included Durga, the goddess of valor; Ganga, the
goddess of the river Ganges; etc.
•Some of the Gupta coins, mainly the silver ones,
carried the images of Garuda, a mythical bird of
Indian tradition.
•These coins are found in large numbers in western
India.
•In some cases, the Garuda is replaced by a peacock.
•This variety of coins is extremely rare. And thus,
carry a great value for the numismatists.
•The first hoard of the Gupta coins was found at
Kalighat, in Calcutta in 1783.
•The coins were handed over to Warren Hastings, the
Skandagupta I of the Gupta Empire
Purugupta of the Gupta Empire
Kumaragupta II of the Gupta Empire

Samudragupta (335-380 CE)
• Samudragupta, succeeded his father Chandragupta I.
• He is also known as 'Napolean of India’, Though in my
opinion Napolean should address “The Samudragupta of

•Gupta Era start with the
Chandragupta I's
accession, CE 320.
•It may appear strange
that this monarch should
have issued no coins of
his own, but there seems
little reason now to doubt
that, to his son and
successor, Samudragupta,
the real founder of the
Gupta Empire, should be
assigned those coins
which bear the portraits
of Chandragupta and his
wife Kumāradevī,r a
member of the illustrious
Lichchavi family reigning
Samudragupta:

About the Coinage of Samudragupta
•Samudragupta's conquests, as we learn from his Allahabad pillar inscription,
carved out for him an empire which extended north to the base of the
Himalayas, east to the Brahmaputra river, south to the banks of the Narbada,
and west to the Jumna and the Chambal, with a number of protected states on
his frontier between those rivers and the Chināb.
•On the completion of his conquests he revived an ancient Indian rite in
celebrating the Aśvamedha, or Horse-sacrifice.
•Now the states under Samudragupta's protection in the Panjāb were the
districts of the old Kushāṇa Empire in which the gold coinage current at this
time was degraded form of the Kushāṇa "standing king" and "seated
goddess," Ardokhsho-Lakshmī type : it was from these coins that the earliest
and commonest form of Samudragupta's issues, the Standard type was
imitated.
•The earliest specimens, though much superior in workmanship, follow their
model very closely : the "standing king" still wears Kushāṇa dress ; a Kushāṇa
symbol still appears on the reverse ; only, on the obverse, in place of Śiva's
trident, appears a Garuḍa-headed standard (Garuḍadhvaja), emblem of the
cult of Vishṇu.

About the Coinage of
Samudragupta
•In such abundance did the Kushāṇa kings mint copper
money that it may be said without exaggeration to
have remained in circulation in the Panjāb down to the
nineteenth century; in the time of the Guptas the
bazars must have been full of it.
•But for gold there is always an insatiable demand in
India, and seven other distinct varieties appeared
during this reign.
•Of these the Archer type, the commonest and most
characteristic Gupta coin struck by at least eight
succeeding kings, is a natural development of the
Standard type, of which also further modifications are
to be found in the Battle-axe and Kācha types.
•On the obverse of the former a second attendant
figure is introduced, and a battle-axe instead of a
स
मु
द्र
गु
प्त

•The Tiger-slayer type, of which four specimens only
are at present known, is the prototype of the Lion-
slayer issues of later kings, and represents the king,
dressed for the first time in an Indian waistcoat and
turban, trampling on a tiger as he shoots it.
•There remain the Chandragupta I, Aśvamedha and
Lyrist types, all three obviously in the nature of
commemorative medals, and perhaps intended as
pious gifts (dakshiṇā) to Brahmans.
•The Lyrist coins, the rarest of the three, merit
special attention.
•Evidently intended as a graceful tribute to the king's
accomplishments, he is portrayed in Indian dress,
sitting cross-legged on a high-backed rather ornate
couch, playing on a vīṇā, or Indian lute.
•On the reverse appears the goddess Lakshmī seated
to left on a mora (wicker stool).
•The excellent modelling of the king's figure, the
skillful delineation of the features, the careful

Types of
SAMUDRAGUPT
A rCoins
King
and
Queen
type
Ashva
medha
type
Archer
type
Standa
rd/
Sceptr
e type
Battle
-axe
type
Tiger-
slayer
type
Lyrist
type
Kācha
type
Total 08 types of Samudra Gupta Coins and all are issued only in
the Gold
स
मु
द्र
गु
प्त

Standard/Sceptre Type
This coin is undoubtedly one of the first Gupta coins. A comparison with late Kushan
coins, such as those of Shaka, show a close similarity. This type is traditionally called
the "Standard type," on the assumption that the king was holding a standard. However,
it is now clear that the king would never hold his standard and that the king must be
holding the rājadanda, or royal sceptre. Numismatists have continued to call it the
"Standard type" out of a sense of tradition and inertia but It should be called the
"sceptre type."Weight: 7.46 gm,
Diameter: 20 mm.
Obverse- King standing left,
sacrificing at altar left and holding
the royal sceptre (rājadanda)
Garuda standard at left, Brāhmī
legend under arm: Samudra
circular Brāhmī legend around /
Reverse- Lakshmi enthroned
facing, holding cornucopia and
diadem,
Brāhmī legend at
right: Parākramah

Standard Type With Dagger
A rare type in which the king has a dagger or
short sword in his belt.
Monogram
Dagger

King and Queen Type
The King and Queen type memorializes the most important event of early Gupta history:
the marriage of Chandragupta I to the Lichchavi princess Kumaradevi. The attribution of
the King and Queen type has been the subject of some debate- Allan assigned with
Samudragupta, while Altekar with Chandragupta I. The coins are telling us that the King
and Queen coins were issued after the earliest coins of Samudragupta.
On the coins, the king has his right hand raised up close to the queen's face, and
numismatists have been wondering what is transpiring between them. Various
suggestions have been made, such as that he is holding up an object or
applying sindhoor to her forehead. The position of his hand near her mouth, it seems
most likely that he is offering her something to eat. Feeding the bride is an important
component of the wedding ritual.
Weight: 7.44 gm, Diameter: 20 mm.
Obverse- King standing at right and
queen at left, facing each other, king
holding up his right hand,
Legends-Brāhmī legend at left: Sri
Kumaradevi
Brāhmī legend at right: Chandra /
(gupta) /
Reverse- Goddess (Durga?) enthroned
facing, seated on recumbent lion
right, holding cornucopia and diadem,

Archer type
The archer type became the prototypical Gupta coin, but it is relatively rare for
Samudragupta, even though he invented the type.
Weight: 7.15 gm,
Diameter: 20 mm.
Obverse- King standing
left, holding an Indian
long bow in his left hand
and an arrow in his right,
Garuda standard at left,
Legends- Brāhmī legend
under arm: Samudra
circular Brāhmī legend
around /
Reverse- Lakshmi
enthroned facing, holding
cornucopia and diadem,
Legends- Brāhmī legend

Battle Axe Type
Obverse- King standing left, holding a battle axe in his left hand, right hand on
hip Attendant at left, facing right and holding crescent-topped standard, Legends-
Brāhmī legend under arm: Samudra circular Brāhmī legend around / Reverse- Lakshmi
enthroned facing, holding cornucopia and diadem, Legends- Brāhmī legend at
right: Kritantaparashu

Ashvamedha (Horse Sacrifice) type
The Ashvamedha type of Samudragupta is arguably the most beautiful Gupta coin. A
unique coin in which the reverse legend reads Hayamedhaparākrama instead of the
usual Ashvamedhaparākrama. Haya is another Sanskrit word that means "horse.“r
Obverse- Sacrificial horse standing left, yupa (sacrificial post) before, Brāhmī legend-
around and si (for siddham) below horse / Reverse- Queen standing left, holding towel
in left hand, flywhisk in right over her shoulder needle before, Brāhmī legend -at
right: Hayamedhaparākrama Sometime with the legend Ashvamedhaparākrama

Ashvamedha
(Horse Sacrifice) typ

Lyrist type
On this coin, the king is shown seated at ease on a high-backed couch, playing a string
instrument like a simple lyre or lute. The fact that the king wanted to publicize an image of
himself as a musician is remarkable. Samudragupta is known to have been a great patron of the
arts and poet. This variety has a tamgha in front of Lakshmi's face and no letter below the king's
couch. This variety has no tamgha in front of Lakshmi's face and the letter si (for siddham) below
the king's couch. The back of the couch is also higher and the overall style more beautiful.
Obverse- King seated left on a couch, playing the vina, Reverse- Lakshmi seated left on a stool, holding a
cornucopia and diadem,
Brāhmī legend at right: Samudraguptah
With Si Without Si With Tamga Without Tamga

Tiger-slayer Type
Another entirely new type created by Samudragupta's celators, the tiger-slayer type presumably
aimed at show-casing the king's prowess at arms.
Obverse- King standing left, shooting arrow at tiger at left, Legend- circular Brāhmī legend at
right: Vyaghraparākrama /
Reverse- Goddess Ganga standing left on makara, holding long-stemmed lotus in left hand, right hand
outstretched, crescent-topped standard at left, Legends- Brāhmī legend at right: Raja Samudraguptah

Kācha Type
There is some uncertainty about whether the Kācha type coins were issued by
Samudragupta or by some other king. Altekar ultimately concluded that the coins were
issued by a king named Kāchagupta. However, we have no record of any such king, and
the epithet Sarvarājochchhettā was in fact applied to Samudragupta in some
inscriptions.Weight: 7.32 gm, Diameter: 20 mm.
Obverse- King standing left, sacrificing at altar left and holding a chakra-topped standard no Garuda
standard at left,
Legends- Brāhmī legend under arm: Kācha circular Brāhmī legend around /
Reverse- Lakshmi standing left, holding cornucopia in left arm and lotus flower in right hand,
Legends- Brāhmī legend at right: Sarvarājochchhettā

Chandragupta II
(380-415 CE)
• Chandragupta II is most commonly
known as Vikramaditya-Son of Power.
• Fa-hien was the first Chinese pilgrim
who visited India during the reign of
Chandragupta II.
च
न्द्द्र

About the Coinage of
Chandragupta II Vikramāditya
•Chandragupta II Vikramāditya extended still
further the boundaries of the empire, and at
some time during his long reign, which lasted
till CE 413, removed the capital from Pāṭaliputra
to Ayodhyā.
•His gold coinage is even more abundant than
his father's, two of whose types, the Archer and
Lion-slayer (Tiger-slayer), he continued; but on
his later Archer coins the goddess Lakshmī sits
upon a lotus instead of a throne ; and in the
second type, besides the substitution of a lion
for a tiger, there is a change on the reverse,
Lakshmī being seated on a lion in various
attitudes.
•The figure of the Lion-slayer on the obverse is
sometimes turned to the right and sometimes to
the left; and a unique coin in the Lucknow
Museum shows him attacking the lion with a
sword.
•The very rare Couch design of Chandragupta is
a derivative of Samudragupta's Lyrist type. In
the new Chattra type coins we have yet a further

• Many historians believe that Chandragupta II was nominated by his father
Samudragupta as the next heir of Gupta Empire.
• But Ramagupta, the eldest son of Samudragupta succeeded his father and
became the emperor. Chandragupta II killed him and ascended the throne.
• At the time of Vikramadityas reign, the glory of Gupta Empire reached its
peak.
• A circle of famous nine persons known as Nine Gems or Navaratnas were
present in the court of Vikramaditya:•An entirely new design is furnished
by this king's Horseman coins.
•A king on horseback was, as we
have seen, employed by the Indo-
Greeks, and was characteristic of
the issues of the Śakas.
•The Gupta rendering of the motif is
new and spirited. The horse is fully
caparisoned, facing in some coins
to the right, on others to the left,
and the king, either fully clad or
sometimes only in a waistcoat,
carries either a sword or a bow; the

Types of
CHANDRAGUPT
A Coins
06
Type of
Gold
Coins
02
Silver
Type of
Coins
02
Copper
Type of
Coins
01 Lead
Type of
Coin
Total 11 types of Chandragupta II
Coins-
06 Type of Gold Coins:
1. Archer type
2. Sceptre type
3. Lion-slayer type
4. Horseman type
5. Chhatra type
6. Couch type
02 Silver Type of Coins:
1. Normal type
2. "Sriguptakula" type
02 Copper Type of Coins:
1. AE Fraction
2. AE Unit
01 Lead Type of Coins:

06 Type of Gold Coins Issued By Chandragupta II
06 Type
of Gold
Coins
1.Archer
type
Sceptre
type
Lion-
slayer
type
Horseman
type
Chhatra
type
Couch
type

Archer type
The archer type is the most common type of Chandragupta II, but it comes in a wide
range of varieties, some of which are illustrated in the group here. Perhaps the earliest
group, to which this coin belongs, continued to depict Lakshmi seated on a throne as
on Samudragupta's sceptre and archer types. The present coin is a basic type in which
the only object in the left obverse field is the Garudadhvaja, and the king's name is
under the arm to the left of the bow string. Note how the throne back is depicted by a
line at right, with another horizontal line at top right.Gold Dinar, c. 375-414
Weight: 7.81 gm, Diameter: 18
mm.
Obveres- King standing left,
holding an Indian long bow in
his left hand and an arrow in his
right, Garuda standard at left,
Legends- Brāhmī legend under
arm: Chandra; circular Brāhmī
legend around /
facing, holding cornucopia in left
arm, with right hand
in varadamudra, dispensing
coins,

Several others type in Archer type
 This variety seems to be a cross
between the first two ... the bowstring
has disappeared and the king's name
has taken its place.
 Also, the throne back has completely
disappeared, and the cornucopia that
Lakshmi used to hold in her (proper)
left arm has been replaced by a long-
stemmed lotus blossom.
 On this variety, the king's name has
migrated from its normal position to the
left of the bow to a position between
the bow and the bowstring.
 Here the throne back is represented
only by two short lines at right angles in
the top right.

• At some point, the throne on which Lakshmi
was seated was eliminated and was replaced by
a lotus seat, such as on the present coin, where
Lakshmi is seated on a stylized lotus spread
out below her.
• On this variety, the king wears a sword at
his hip.

• On this remarkable variety, the goddess
Lakshmi, instead of holding a diadem in her
right hand, is scattering coins with that hand.
• This is an aspect of Lakshmi , as granter of
wealth, that is very prominent in modern Indian
iconography..
• On this coin, Lakshmi's seat is a realistic lotus in
profile rather than the stylized bloom normally
spread out below her like a carpet.
• Here, the Goddess sits at ease in lalitasana, with
one leg hanging down from her raised lotus seat.

• On this variety, the king holds the bow very close to his body and the name Chandra that normally
occupied that space has been eliminated.
• Also, note how the king has his (proper) left leg slightly raised ... a most unusual pose.

Sceptre type
The sceptre type was Samudragupta's most common type, but it is very rare for
Chandragupta II. Only a few examples are known. Some authors have assigned this type
to Chandragupta I but this seems unlikely and experts such as Altekar and Raven
attribute it to Chandragupta II. The main reason to think so is that the style seems to be
consistent with later coins of Samudragupta, rather than his earliest issues. For
example, there is no throne back to Lakshmi's throne, as on the third Archer type coin
above. Thus it is likely that this coin was issued some time into Chandragupta II's reign.Gold Dinar, c. 375-414
Weight: 7.71 gm, Diameter:
20 mm.
Obverse- King standing left,
sacrificing at altar left and
holding the royal sceptre
(rājadanda), Garuda standard
at left,
Legend- Brāhmī legend under
arm: Chandra circular Brāhmī
legend around /
facing, holding cornucopia
and diadem,

Lion-slayer type
The lion-slayer type of Chandragupta II is based on the tiger-slayer type of
Samudragupta. This coin must have been made relatively early in Chandragupta's reign,
Note how Lakshmi holds a cornucopia rather than a lotus in her left arm, like in the
early archer types. Also, even though she is seated on a lion rather than a throne, there
are the remnants of a throne back behind her..
Gold Dinar, c. 375-
414
Weight: 7.84 gm,
Diameter: 20 mm.
Legend- King
standing right,
shooting arrow at
lion at right, circular
Brāhmī legend
around /
Reverse- Lakshmi
(Durga?) seated
facing on lion
walking left, holding

Several others type in Lion-slayer type
This variety replaces Lakshmi's cornucopia with a
long-stemmed lotus in her left arm.
• An amazing coin of very high artistic quality.
• Most noticeable is the unusual pose of the goddess
on the reverse.
• Rather than the usual front-facing pose on a
recumbent, static lion, she is here mounted on the
lion as if it is a horse and it appears to be charging
towards the left with its mouth agape in a ferocious
roar.
• The whole effect is very dynamic.
• We see the same sort of dynamism on the obverse
as well. Usually the king's pose is rather static, as
he stands straight or even leans away from the lion.
• But here the king leans forward, pressing his
advantage as he tramples the lion under foot and
fires an arrow right into its gaping mouth.

Several others type in Lion-slayer type
The king here faces to the left. Note his beautiful
crown and the wonderful rendition of the lion's
face on the reverse.
The lion here appears to be walking to the right
... most unusual!

Horseman type
The horseman type is a new innovation of Chandragupta II. The coins come with the
king facing either left or right. This coin was probably an early issue since we see the
remnants of a throne back (!) behind Lakshmi, even though she is seated on an
ornamental stool.Gold Dinar, c. 375-414 Weight: 7.89 gm, Diameter: 21 mm.
Obverse- King riding horse left,circular Brāhmī legend around /
Reverse- Lakshmi seated left on stool, holding diadem and long-stemmed lotus; Brāhmī legend at
right: Ajitavikrama

Several others type in Horseman type
• On this coin, the throne back behind Lakshmi has
disappeared.
• Here, the mounted king faces right.
• Note how the tamgha in the left reverse field has
evolved, with beautiful curled shapes below.
• A beautiful rendition of Lakshmi!
• The diadem that she normally holds has been discarded
and the long-stemmed lotus has been moved from her
left hand to her right.
• The left hand is now used to lean on the seat of the
stool, while the goddess holds the lotus up to her nose
to smell its fragrance.

Chhatra type
The Chhatra or "Royal Parasol" type is another new innovation of Chandragupta II. Note
the small size of the attendant, indicating his inferior position to that of the king.
Gold Dinar, c. 375-414, Weight: 7.78 gm, Diameter: 20 mm.
Obverse- King standing left, sacrificing at fire altar at left, attendant standing at right, holding up a parasol
over the king,
circular Brāhmī legend around /
Reverse- Lakshmi standing on a lotus facing, holding diadem and long-stemmed lotus; Brāhmī legend at
right: Vikramāditya

Another one type of Chhatra type
On this variety, Lakshmi is walking towards the left rather than standing facing. Also,
note the very clean look of the obverse. The shaft of the parasol lies behind the king,
leaving the left field uncluttered; further, the king here is not nimbate as he normally
is, thus further reducing the clutter on the coin. The result is artistically very pleasing.

Couch type
This type recalls the Lyrist type of
Samudragupta.
Gold Dinar, c. 375-414
Obverse- King sitting at ease left, on a couch or
throne; circular Brāhmī legend around /
Reverse- Lakshmi seated left on a low stool, Brāhmī
legend at right: Vikramāditya
A very unusual type in which the king sits on a low stool.

Normal type
The silver coins of Chandragupta II are based on Western Kshatrapa prototypes and
mark his annexation of Malwa and possibly parts of Gujarat at the expense of that
dynasty.Silver Drachma, c. 375-414; Weight: 1.99 gm, Diameter: 14 mm.
Obverse- Head of king right remnants of Brāhmī date behind /
Reverse- Stylized Garuda standing facing, with wings spread, sun and moon above,
Brāhmī legend around: Paramabhāgavata Maharajadhiraja Sri Chandragupta
Vikramāditya

Other types of Normal type
• This coin shows the digits for the year 300 + 20.
Although it is possible that there was a units
digit on the coin that is now off the flan, the
position of the ten's digit (20) right next to the
king's head indicates that there was no number
following it.
• If the year is indeed 320 (Saka era), that would
be equivalent to year 398 CE and would suggest
that the conquest of Malwa took place on or
before this date.
• This coin shows the digits for the year 300 + 20
+ 9, i.e., 329 (Saka era), equivalent to year 407
CE.

"Sriguptakula" type
This coin and the next are examples of a rare type with an unusual legend, identifying
Chandragupta as belonging to the family (kula) of Sri Gupta. In his article
in Numismatic Digest 29-30, Shailendra Bhandare identified the first word in the
legend as Sriguptakulālankārasya, but on both these coins it is quite apparent that the
last letter is not sya (compare it to the last letter in Vikramānkasya).
Silver Drachma, c. 375-
414; Weight: 1.97 gm,
Diameter: 15 mm.
Obverse- Head of king
right /
Reverse- Stylized
Garuda standing facing,
with wings spread,
Brāhmī legend
around: Sriguptakulāla
nkārasva Rājadhiraja Sri
Chandragupta
Vikramānkasya

Copper and Lead Coins
This coin may have been the core of a potential ancient forgery of the corresponding gold coin.
AE Fraction
Weight: 1.18 gm., Diam: 13 mm.,
Obverse- King standing left /
Reverse- Garuda standing facing, Brahmi legend
below: Sri Chandragup(ta)
AE Unit
Weight: 2.92 gm., Diam: 17-19 mm.,
Obverse- Archer King standing left, Garuda
standard left,
Brahmi legend Chandra below arm /
Reverse- Lakshmi seated on lotus facing

Copper and Lead Coins
.
AE Fraction
Weight: 0.89 gm., Diam: 9.5 mm.,
Obverse- Kalasa (vase) /
Reverse- Brahmi legend: Chandra
Lead Unit
Weight: 2.82 gm., Dim: 14 x 13 mm.,
Obverse- Garuda standing facing,
with wings outstretched /
Reverse- Brahmi legend: Sri Vikrama

Decline and Fall of the Gupta Period
:
• The empire eventually died out because of
many factors such as substantial loss of
territory and imperial authority caused by their
own erstwhile feudatories, as well as the
invasion by the Huna
peoples (Kidarites and Alchon Huns)
from Central Asia.
• Internal division broke the empire apart into
small kingdoms.
• Lacking a strong central government the
smaller kingdoms were overrun by the Huns.
• After Skandagupta, the Gupta dynasty didn't
get any powerful ruler and finally the dynasty
was overpowered by the Vardhana ruler
Harshavardhana.
• The Gupta Empire fell for good in 535 CE.

Source-
 http://ignca.gov.in/Asi_data/6531.pdf
 Photos and Texts are taken- http://coinindia.com/galleries-chandragupta2.html &
 http://coinindia.com/galleries-samudragupta.html
 http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/10689/12661/19/Vol3_Chapter35_13
69-1433p.pdf
 https://www.insa.nic.in/writereaddata/UpLoadedFiles/IJHS/Vol38_4_2_RBalasubramaniam.pdf
Thank you

Coins of Gupta Period (Samudragupta & Chandragupta II)

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