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 Replies: 8 / Views: 1,163 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
Hadn't been shopping for one of these in a while, but ebay correctly guessed I would be interested in these. Picked them up for about $15 each. The Gupta empire overthrew the Western Satraps in 407 when Chandragupta II dressed up as his brother's wife to murder the Western Satrap Rudrasimha III. This cleared the path for this small kingdom to become the largest indigenous empire since the Mauryas under Ashoka. Three Gupta kings ruled during the brief but glorious "golden age" of classical India - Chandragupta II, Kumaragupta I, and Skandagupta. Pressures from the Huns after the death of Skandagupta led to the fracturing of the Gupta power base, although the line continued unbroken for another century. Like the Kushans, the Guptas only minted gold and bronze until they took over the territory of the Kshatrapas. After 407, they began minting silver drachms in the Kshatrapa style, but replacing the arched hill with a Garuda, or mythical humanoid bird. These coins are common, but usually poorly made, poorly struck, and very difficult to read. Hence why I was so excited to snag these! I believe that all three of these are of Chandragupta II's son, Kumaragupta. I'm bad at reading Brahmi, and the Guptas used a different calligraphy than I am used to. 1.  2.  3.  Edited by Finn235
11/04/2017 5:00 pm
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
These are excellent examples, with readable legends and clear strikes, congrats Steve.
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Moderator
United States
34450 Posts |
I agree--very nice. Is the date behind the bust on the obv too?
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
6130 Posts |
The first one I think might be Chandragupta II. If this is his first emission (and based on the portrait style, that seems likely) it should have a date. He apparently continued the "Saka era" calendar for a few years, then switched to the Gupta calendar.
The second one I think just has gibberish all the way around and the third obviously is too off center to tell.
As a side note, I like how these seem to say HO HO HO all the way around!
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Moderator
United States
34450 Posts |
Quote:
these seem to say HO HO HO all the way around! Maybe instead of the year, these coins have the season (Christmas) as the date.  "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
564 Posts |
Very nice Steve,
Every time I look at the obverse of these coins it always reminds me of some Roman republican,do you think there were any influence of the roman republic/empire even though they ended way before the beginning of the Gutpa?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
Good question.
The Romans and Indians traded heavily; India had the good stuff that the Romans liked, like spices, exotic animals to kill in the Colosseum, and peacocks that were apparently required to turn a dead wife into a goddess. Multiple Roman historians complained incessantly that India was bleeding them dry. Roman coins are found all over India, and were probably the silver coin of the land in places like the Kushan empire that did not control major silver mines.
However, in terms of lineage, the Kshatrapa drachms all subsequent imitations are technically Greek. I believe that it night have been Menander who started the "Indian" weight standard for the drachm; about 2.5-3g instead of the Attic 4.3g. The weight drifted down over time; these all weigh between 2.02-2.09g. The design is based on Nahapana, who himself copied the worn-out Greek drachms that were probably still in circulation. The letters on the obverse are supposed to be Greek. Nahapana's coins have a blundered, barely legible "PANNIW NAHAPANAS KSARATAS" or similar, but the Greek became just OIIVIIOO within a generation of Chastana.
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Pillar of the Community
 Spain
2752 Posts |
Nice coins! at a great price..
Congrats
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
Excellent group and, as Paul said, at a great price.  Edited by Kamnaskires
11/05/2017 10:28 am
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Replies: 8 / Views: 1,163 |
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Posted 11/04/2017 4:51 pm
