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Dinar - Kumaragupta III Archer Type
| Issuer | Gupta Empire (India (ancient)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 530-540 |
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| Currency | Drachm (240-550) |
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| Obverse description | The king, identified as Kumaragupta III, stands in regal attire holding a bow in his left hand and drawing an arrow with his right, depicted in the classic Gupta archer type tradition. A Garuda standard rises before him, and a sword is visible at his side. A crescent appears above the royal figure. Brahmi legends encircle the design, identifying the issuing king, rendered in the characteristic high-relief hammered style of late Gupta coinage. |
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| Mintage | ND (530-540) |
| Additional information |
Kumaragupta III ruled during the Gupta Empire's terminal decades, when Huna invasions from Central Asia had already fractured the northern territories and rendered imperial authority increasingly nominal. This issue belongs to a coinage tradition — the archer-type dinar — that the Guptas had maintained for over a century, though by the 530s the dynasty controlling it bore little resemblance in power to the one that originated it.
Gold fineness on late Gupta dinars declined measurably from earlier imperial issues, a direct consequence of disrupted tribute networks and depleted treasury reserves. BMC Gupta 572 places this type among the final authenticated imperial strikes before provincial successors absorbed what remained of Gupta monetary authority.