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Dinar - Samudragupta Dynastic Issue
| Issuer | Gupta Empire (India (ancient)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 335-375 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Drachm (240-550) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Goddess Lakshmi, draped and seated facing on a recumbent lion facing left, holding a cornucopia in her left hand and a noose in her right. The legend 'Licchavayah' appears in the right field, identifying the Lichchhavi lineage claimed by the Gupta dynasty through Chandragupta I's royal marriage. The lion is depicted in a resting or sleeping posture, rendered with careful attention to anatomical form characteristic of early Gupta gold coinage. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | लिच्छवयः |
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| Additional information |
Samudragupta, who ruled from roughly 335 to 375 CE, is known primarily through the Allahabad Pillar inscription — one of the most detailed panegyrics to survive from ancient India — which credits him with military campaigns across the subcontinent and the absorption of at least a dozen kingdoms. His gold coinage was almost certainly modeled in weight standard on the Kushan dinar, a deliberate calibration that positioned the Guptas as legitimate successors to the dominant monetary authority of northwestern India.
The Mitchiner ACW range 4795–4800 encompasses several distinct type varieties within his issue, differentiated by reverse iconography and inscription variants. Distinguishing between them requires die study rather than casual inspection.