Indian Antiquary Vol 14

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 83

MARCH, 1885.]
SILVER COINS OF THE EARLY GUPTAS.
65
THE LEGENDS ON THE SILVER COINS OF THE EARLY GUPTAS AND
OTHERS CONNECTED WITH THEM.
BY J. F. FLEET, Bo.C.S., M.R.A.S., C.I.E. THE study of the gold coins of the Early
CHANDRAGUPTA II. 1 Guptas has recently been much advanced
Class A. by Mr. V. A. Smith, B.C.S., in his exhaustive I.-One coin examined. Reverse,-rude paper in the Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. LIII. peacock, with outstretched wings. (See ArPart I. p. 119ff.
chæol. Suru. Ind. Vol. IX. p. 23, and Pl. v. The silver coins, however, so far as the No. 1.) legends on them are concerned, still remain to The marginal legend, commencing above the be disposed of. The present readings of the head of the peacock, is :'legends, as given by Mr. Thomas in Archæol. Sra-Guptaku(?)la (P)[sya maharajadharajaSuro. West. Ind. Vol. II. p. 59ff., and by $][A-Chandra*]gupta-Vakramankasya, General Cunningham in Archæol. Surv. Ind. which representsVol. IX. p. 21ff., are not quite perfect. And, Šri-Guptaku(?) la(?) sya(?) maharajadhirajaapproximately correct as they are, and good éri-Chandragupta-Vikramankasya ;As are the plates that accompany them, it was “Of the supreme king of Mahardjas, the impossible to complete them with certainty glorious Chandragupta-Vikramånka, who from those plates.
belongs to the glorious family of the Guptas." Recently, however, I have had the oppor- The fourth and fifth syllables, kula, are tunity of examining the original coins in doubtful; and the sya, which is supplied after General Cunningham's collection. And I am, them, depends of course upon the acceptance thus, now able to give correct and complete of them. The vakramankasya at the end is readings of the legends on them.
very distinct; and, as Vikramanka' is conThere is, in the first place, a point to be stantly used as a synonym for Vikrama' and noticed, which, as far as I can see, has hitherto Vikramaditya,' both of which names are known escaped attention. It is, that there are two dis- from the gold coins to have belonged to Chantinct methods of writing the legends. In one set dragupta II., we need not hesitate about snpof legends, which I shall call Class A., though the plying chandra before gupta. The remaining lower vowels are always expressed, such vowels letters, here as in other places, are supplied as, if engraved, would fall on or above the top from the legends of other coing, and according line of writing, are uniformly omitted. In to the space that requires to be filled up. the other set of legends, which I shall call And, in fact, the letters raja-s and a-chandra Class B., these apper vowels are always duly are supplied by the similar coin, the legend of inserted. The legends of Class A. are always which is represented by Sir E. Clive Bayley in coupled in the Early Gupta coins with the Ind. Ant. Vol. VI. p. 576. ruder representation of the peacock on the II.-Three coins examined. Reverse, -rude reverse, with outstretched wings, but without peacock, with outstretched wings. (See Arexpanded tail. The legends of Class B, on chæol. Suro. Ind. Vol. IX. p. 23f. and. Pl. v. the other hand, are always coupled in the same Nos. 2 and 3.) coins with the far more finished representation The marginal legend, commencing opposite of the peacock on the reverse, which shows, the left wing of the peacock, isin addition to the ontstretched wings, the Paramabhagavata-maharajadharaja-áratail, fully expanded behind, and very well | Chandragupta-Vakramadatyay depicted.
which represents
The same is also the rule with the silver coins of the Kshatrapas; and it is this that has led to the reading of saha or stha, instead of sinhha, as the termination of some of their names.-Even some of the gold ooins of the early Guptas have the legends written in the same imperfeot way ; but the instances available are not numerous enough to render a classification practicable yet.
The asteriska attached to letters in square bracketa, denote letters which fall beyond the edges of the coins BIAmined.
* In all probability the legend given in id. p. 57a is from another specimen of the same coin, and has vakramankasya, not vakramarkasya for vikramarkasya, at the end. The original coin, however, requires to be examined.