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1 Drachm - Pratihara
| Issuer | Pratihara Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 780-980 |
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| Currency | Drachm (650-1036) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Stylised fire altar depicted at centre, a device directly inherited from Sasanian numismatic tradition and adapted by the Pratihara mint. The altar is shown frontally with a pronounced stepped or columnar shaft surmounted by a flame finial, flanked on the left by a dotted or beaded branch motif possibly representing a palm frond or ritual object. Two circular pellets are visible at the base of the altar, a common feature on Pratihara drachm reverses. The design is struck on an irregular, somewhat buckled flan with flat fields, the overall execution reflecting the progressive stylisation typical of eighth- to tenth-century north Indian billon coinage derived from Sasanian archetypes. |
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| Mintage | ND (780-980) |
| Additional information |
The Gurjara-Pratiharas controlled the largest empire in the subcontinent during much of this period, repeatedly blocking Arab expansion eastward from Sindh — a geopolitical fact that shaped which trade networks these coins actually moved through. Billon alloy content varies considerably across the dynasty's two-century span, generally declining as imperial authority fragmented under Rashtrakuta pressure from the Deccan and Pala pressure from Bengal.
Attribution within the series remains contested; many specimens circulated well past their issuing ruler's reign and were restruck by successor states.