2020-08-31 Mon

Skandagupta was the ruler of the Gupta Empire; his reign was a striking period in the history of ancient India, probably, because of the Hun invasion. During his reign, he had restored the Gupta power by defeating his enemies, who may have been rebels or foreign invaders. The most formidable war of Skandagupta in his reign was against the Huns, for which he is legendary. However, since the inscriptions do not provide any valid date of the invasion, there are enough controversies regarding the time of the Hun assault! This Archer type gold dinar that weighs around 8.60g was issued by Skandagupta during his rule in the Gupta Empire. The obverse of this gold dinar depicts Nimbate king standing facing left, holding a bow in one hand and arrow in the other, Garuda standard in the background, Brahmi legend “JayatiMahitalam (Sri) SkandguptahSudhanvi” around and “Skanda” below the arm holding bow, Brahmi letter “Sri” in between the legs. The reverse side of this gold dinar depicts Goddess Lakshmi seated on a lotus holding a lotus in one hand and a noose in the other, Brahmi legend “Sri Skandaguptah” to right and Tamgha to left. Image Courtesy: Oswal Antiques