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Coins of the Guptas Coins of the Guptas 5.1 Do you know? Description Image Source The first Gupta Gold coin hoard was discovered from Kalighat in West Bengal in 1783 The largest Gupta Gold Coin hoard is the Bayana Hoard Guptas issued coins in Silver only for their western territory Gupta coins in lead and copper are very few in number The change in weight standard was introduced during the reign of Skandagupta Silver coins of the Guptas were modeled on design of the coins of the rulers whom they had defeated in the western territories i.e. The Western Kshatrapas Some scholars believe that the coins depicting Chandragupta and Kumaradevi were issued by Samudragupta as commemorative medals or coins commemorating the marriage of his mother and father The term ‘Lichchavayah’ is found engraved on the coins of Chandragupta Kumaradevi type coins 5.2 Timeline: Timelines Image Description C.319 – 350 CE Candragupta I ? Kāca C.350 – 376 CE Samudragupta C.376 CE Rāmagupta C.376 – 415 CE Candragupta II C.448–455 CE Ghatotkacagupta C.415–447 CE Kumāragupta I C.456–467 CE Skandagupta ? Purugupta C.477–488 CE Budhagupta C.467–474 CE ? Narasiṁhagupta C. 474(?)–476 CE Kumāragupta II C.515 ? Viṣṇugupta C. 508 Vainyagupta 5.3 Glossary Staring Related Term Definition Character Term D Dinara Weight standard of the Gupta Gold coins approximately weighing 121 grains. The term is found in their inscriptions denoting gold coins. It was the continuaiton of the Kushana Gold coin standard S Suvarna This was and indigenous standard introduced by Skandagupta. The coins issued in this standard heavier than the coins of dinara standard. They weigh around 144 grains GE Gupta Era The era used by the Gupta rulers on their inscriptions and coins is known as Gupta Samvat or Gupta Era. It commenced in c. 319-320 CE 5.4 Web links Web links http://coinindia.com/galleries-samudragupta.html http://coinindia.com/galleries-chandragupta2.html https://www.forumancientcoins.com/india/guptas/gupta_coinage.html https://www.academia.edu/30145861/Treasures_of_the_Gupta_Empire_- _A_Catalogue_of_Coins_of_the_Gupta_Dynasty 5.5 Bibliography Bibliography Agrawal, A., Rise and fall of the Imperial Guptas, Delhi, MotilalBanarsidas, 1989. Allan, J., Catalogue of the Coins of Ancient India in the British Museum, London, 1936. Allan, J., Catalogue of the Coins of the Gupta Dynasties, London, 1914. Allan, J., Coins of the Gupta Dynasties and of Śaśāṅka, the King of Gauḍa, London, 1914: The Trustees of the British Museum (Reprinted 1967, Patna: eastern Book Huse). Altekar, A.S. Catalogue of the Gupta Gold Coins in the Bayana Hoard, Bombay, Numismatic Society of India, 1954. Altekar, A.S. The Coinage of the Gupta Empire, Varanasi, 1957. BasuMajumdar, Susmita, Kalighat Hoard: The First Gupta Coin Hoard from India, Kolkata: Mira Bose (P) Ltd, 2014. Brown, C.J., Catalogue of the Coins of the Guptas, Maukharis etc. in the Provincial Museum Lucknow, Allahabad, 1920. Chakravarty, D., ‘The hasnan hoard of Gupta gold coins,’ Proceedings of Indian History Congress, 28th Session, Indian History Congress, 1977: 757-764. Chhabra, B. Ch., Catalogue of the Gupta Gold Coins of the Bayana Hoard in the National Museum, New Delhi, National Museum, 1986. Goyel, S.R, The Imperial Guptas: A Political Multidisciplinary Study, Jodhpur: Kusumanjali Book World, 2005. Gupta, P.L, The Imperial Guptas (Sources, Historiography and Politicail History),2Vols, Varanasi: VishwavdyalayaPrakashan, 1974. Mukherjee, B.N, Coinage and Currency System in Gupta Bengal, New Delhi: Harman Publishing House, 1992. Mukherjee, Chhanda, ‘Gupta Coinage from Bengal and Contemporary Trade and Commerce’, Indian Museum Bulletin 26, 1992: 37-41. Smith, V.A., Catalogue of the Coins in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, Vol. I, Oxford, 1906. .
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