Coins Of The Guptas

Coins Of The Guptas

• Gupta Era started about 320 C.E. the time of accession of Chandragupta first the period of the Gupta dynasty last trophy between 300 - 550 CE. Gupta gold coins with their many types and varieties are the first examples of purely North Indian for the first time. For the first time Indians coins have their legend ( inscriptions) in pure Sanskrit in Nagari script the three famous kings of this dynasty Samudragupta Chandragupta and Kumara Gupta. They introduced different types of coins sometimes representing events in the life of the ruler or simply emphasising the purpose. These types of coins one of the highest achievements of the engravers ott in India and they fully match with the finest of Greek Roman and Renaissance coinage of the the world. The Gupta coins for essentialy of gold one side of these coins we find King standing and making oblations before an altar. On the other side we find goddess Lakshmi seated on a throne or a Lotus seat or the figure of Queen herself.

Coins of Samudhra Gupta

Obverse	King holding a stand and before an altar. Behind the altar is a Garuda headed stand. The legend translated in to English reads “Samudra the unconquered one, whose victories extends over centuries of battles having conquered his enemies, wins heaven
Reverse	The otherside shows the Goddess Laksmi seated on a throne her feet resting on lotus. The inscription reads, ‘Parakrama’
Metal	Gold
Period	326-375 CE