Class II (Reverse of this class of coins always depicts the Goddess Lakshmi seated on a lotus. The Obverse always depicts the King holding a Bow and an Arrow.)
This Class of Archer coins has the most variations. It seems that the mint masters truly were at their peak during the reign of Chandragupta II and produced truly the most beautiful works of art in these designs.
Obverse: The king is shown in various positions with the bow and arrow and is mostly shown wearing a dhoti rather than a trouser. Chandra under arm.
Legend: Devasrimaharajadhiraja sri Chandraguptah
Reverse: Goddess Lakshmi is shown always seated on a lotus and holds a lotus flower in her left hand and a diadem in her right hand. On extremely rare coins the Goddess is shown showering coins from her right hand. Coins of this variety are shown at in Variety T. Legend: Sri Vikramah
CHANDRAGUPTA BRAHMI TEXT
Chandragupta II Archer Type coins
The two coins above are an amazing find!
Both of these coins are struck from the same Obverse die and different Reverse die's and help show the transition of the coinage from the use of the Kushan style of the Goddess on throne reverse to a more indianized version of the coinage showing the Goddess on a lotus.
Goddess on Throne Reverse: Weight: 7.68gm, Dia: 2.0cm Goddess on Lotus Reverse: Weight: 7.70gm, Dia: 2.0cm
chandragupta II archer
Class II, Variety A Kings name under left Arm
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
This coin is a prime example of Mint A2 - the 2nd Royal Mint as described by Ms. Ellen Raven. This coin is an excellent example of the mint masters at their zenith.
King shown facing left with bow in left hand. 'Chandra' under Kings left arm holding bow. This coin depicts the King with a beautiful hair style. 'Sri-Vikramah' on reverse.
8.24gms
Ex Garret Collection
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER CL II Bayana Hoard Original coin
Original Bayana Hoard Coin ... from a bracelet presented by the Maharaja of Bharatpur.Rest of the coins from this Hoard which formed the basis for the study of the Gupta coinage were presented to the President of India by the Maharaja in 1957.The coins from this Hoard were distributed between the various Museums in India – from the National Museum in Delhi, Bharat Kala Bhavan, Prince of Wales Museum Bombay, The Lucknow Museum etc.The coins below are the only known coins in a private collection.
This bracelet presented by the Maharaja of Bharatpur had a total of 8 coins in Mint State. Five of these coins are currently part of the Shivlee Collection. These five coins are the largest group of the Original Bayana Hoard coins in a private collection.
The specimen shown on the left is from Archer Type, Class II - Variety A, 1.7cm Reverse shows the original bracelet holder inscribed - Chandra II - Bayana Hoard Archer Lotus
Coin shown is in the original bracelet clasp - Clasp has been designed to hold the coin in place without damaging it.
Image:
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER COIN
8.14gms
CLASS II, Var. B
Crescent in front of Kings face.
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER COIN
8.2gm /
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER COIN
8.14gms
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
Class II, Variety B
Note Crescent between King and Garuda
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER COIN
CLASS II, Var B
Crescent above Garuda
CLASS II, Var. C
King with Chakra. Staff of Garuda standard is worked on lathe, Chakra between Kings head and Garuda.
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
CHANDRAGUPTA II OR III ARCHER WITH CHAKRA COIN
Archer-and-chakra type. 8.37 grams.
Nimbate king with flowing hair standing left, his left arm through the top of his bow, arrow in right hand, wheel symbol (chakra) above left, Chandra in field right.
Rev. Legend unclear, goddesss seated facing on lotus holding long stemmed flower and riband, tamga (symbol) above left.
BMC pl.VII, 96
Class II, Variety D
Head turned to right. Body of King to Left, but looking to right. Body is always bare and muscular.
Chandragupta Class II Archer Variety D
7.79gm, 1.8cm
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER VAR D
7.7gms. 1.9cm.
Class II, Variety E - Long Sash hanging from King's waist
Head turned to left, the King is depicted with a Sash tied at his waist - sometimes with a pretty bow on the left side of the Kings waist and the ends of the Sash hanging down at left.
Altekar had speculated that this was a Hunter or a long whip hanging off the side of the King....
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER COIN
A sash is tied around the King's waist with a beautiful bow at the left, ends of the long sash hanging down the left side of the King. King is shown as a handsome muscular body, bejewelled and holding a bow and an arrow. Mint B.
7.56gm
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
8.1gms
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
8.1gms
CLASS II, Variety F
King with Bow, Sword at waist. Very rare variety. Beautiful mint design and bold strike.
1.9cm, 8.2gms
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
Class II, Var. F
Legend: Deva shri Maha ra ... Chandra under Kings arm. 8.1gms, Sword hanging off waist.
Very Very rare variety.
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER W SWORD
Class II, Variety G
Very rare style - 4 coins from this variety were in the Bayana Hoard - in Museum collections in India.
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER CLASS II Var G
Obverse:
King is shown nimbate, standing left, holding arrow in right hand, left hand holding bow at top; to left, Garuda standard; Chandra below left arm. (7.86 g)
Legend starting at 1 O'Clock: Deva Sri Maharajadhiraja - At 7 O'Clock: Sri Chandraguptasya
Reverse: Lakshmi, nimbate, seated facing on lotus in Arddhaparayanka pose (left foot tucked up under her, right leg hanging down), holding diadem (ribbons/noose) in her right hand, left hand outstretched, holding lotus; tamgha to left; Srivikramah to right.
BMC Guptas -; BKB 87 = Alketar class II, variety G, 17 = Bayana class II, variety D, 981 (same obv. die). 7.60 gms
CLASS II, Variety I
Chandra under right arm. Kings stands to left, holds bow in right hand and arrow in left hand.
7.8gm
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER COIN
CLASS II, Variety L Chandra outside the bowstring, bow held by the middle
Very Rare Variety
7.78gms
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
CLASS II, Variety L Chandra outside the bowstring, bow held by the middle. Legend: Deva Sri Maharajadhiraja ... Srivikramah on reverse. Very Rare Variety. 7.72gms
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
CLASS II, Variety N
Altekar's classification system refers to this Variety as "Gupta written on outside border of Arrow". This is merely the marginal legend around the coin ending at the arrow.
7.88gms
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
CLASS II, Variety N
7.9gms
Of note in this die variety is the beautiful rendition of the Goddess on the reverse. These small but unique details point to a very highly artistic and skilled stable of die designers at one of the best mints in the Gupta Empire.
CLASS II, Variety O - SUN SYMBOL in front of Kings head
Only a few specimen of this rare variety have come to light so far, and they range in weight from 7.87gm to 8.22gm (121grains - 127grains). The design matches best to 124grain standard from Mint A2.
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER TYPE COIN WITH SUN SYMBOL
Chandragupta III, ( c. 450-455 AD ) OR Chandragupta II ??
Gold Dinar, 8.1gm, Archer type, Chandra below arm of standing king to left, legend around, bow in left hand, right hand holding arrow, garuda standard in field left.
Reverse: Sri Vikrama, goddess Sri-Lakshmi seated on lotus holding long-stemmed lotus flower.
The additional symbol on this coin is a Sun type symbol in front of the king's face. It is made up of a dot within circle encircled by eight dots.
(Similar to BMC pl. VII, 7, Bayana Hoard pl. X, 2).
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER CL II half dinar
This specimen is the only known coin in a private collection.
CLASS II, Variety P
Half Dinar. 3.3gms. 1.5cm
image of half dinara specimen shown next to a full dinar coin struck from same die.
image of half dinara specimen shown next to a full dinar coin struck from same die.
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
Reverse:
image of half dinara specimen shown next to a full dinar coin struck from the same die.
Each of the Coins shown below are new Varieties discovered and published for the first time:
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
CLASS II, New Variety Q King to left, Chandra outside bowstring, bow held by the middle
Published - "New Coin Varieties of the Gupta Dynasty Gold Dinars," Oriental Numismatic Society Newsletter 164 (Summer 2000), pp. 23-24, illus. Chandragupta II - Archer type, New Variety "Q" (King to left, Chandra outside bowstring, bow held by the middle) This coin is of Chandragupta's Archer type, Class II category.Altekar had broken down the coins into 16 varieties on the basis of the obverse designs. While the Archer type coins were the most prolific coins, this class has yielded some of the most fascinating varieties so far in addition to the only known half dinara version known of the Gupta Dynasty.
This new variety is part of the Shivlee Collection and is the only known coin to exist of this variety.This coin is struck on a broad flan, 2cm in diameter and the coin weighs 7.7 gms.The obverse shows the King inclined to the left, and looking to the left and holds the bow by the middle with the string outside. Chandra is written outside the bowstring.The king has big loop earrings, necklace, faint traces of a cap. King is wearing a coat with long tails, with sleeves folded, bracelets and pants with beads on the sides.There appears to be strands of a hunter (whip) between the kings legs as if the hunter was on his back.Legend not visible, other than traces of .. gup(ta).. at IX.
Reverse shows the goddess sitting on a lotus, cross legged, left hand holding a flower with a long stem and right hand holding a noose - both hands outstretched.Goddessis wearing earrings. Symbol in the upper left quadrant and the Legend Sri-Vikrama on the right of the stem of the flower.
CLASS II, New Variety R Possibly can be classified as Chandragupta III - heavy dinara type.
Chandra under Kings Arm, SriVikr (ma) on reverse
Peculiar stylized King, Fire Altar on top left (same fire altar design as shown on Samudragupta Standard Designs).
Weight is 8.56gms.
It is possible that this coin was issued under Chandragupta III. With the decline of the Gupta Dynasty the coinage from later kings shows an increase in debased gold coinage and to compensate the coin weight starts getting heavier.
Also refer to 'Chandragupta III: Tracing the Coins of a Gupta King' by Ellen M. Raven as an additional reference to Coins with symbols on the Obverse.
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
CLASS II, New Variety S - Conch Shell
Very rare style - Symbol is not the typical geometric symbol style used on the gold coins - here we see a shankh - a conch shell. 7.60 gms
Use of Conch shell as a symbol is very rare in the Gupta coinage. There are two additional coins which depict a conch shell on the coin:
CLASS II, New Variety T - Goddess Scattering Coins
This is a new variety and was unknown to Altekar at the time he published his corpus. While discussing the Class II coins of Chandragupta II, Archer Type, he commented that 'at this time no coins have come to light which show the goddess scattering coins...'
Altekar was mistaken in making this statement. John Allan published a coin of Chandragupta II, Archer Type, in his 'Catalogue of the Indian Coins in the British Museum' , 1914, Coin # 89, Plate VII, 9.
The two coins shown below are the only two coins to come to light with this reverse and so far are the only known specimen in a private collection.
8.01gm, King to left with Chandra shown under Kings Arm.
Reverse shows the Goddess seated on a lotus and scattering coins with her right hand. SriVikramah
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
CLASS II, New Variety T - Goddess Scattering Coins
The coin below is from the J PMorgan Collection 1951. This coin is another coin of this new variety with the Goddess scattering coins. Both this coin and the coin above also show the King with short sword hanging off his waist. This is more pronounced on the specimen below.
The coin below was the ONLY Gupta coin in the important and famous JP Morgan collection which was auctioned off in 1951. The rarity of the coin is evident in the fact that so far this coin below and the speciman above are still the only known coins to come to light of this rare variety.
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER with goddess dropping coins
CLASS II, Variety U - Sri-Vatsa symbol in front of Kings head
While Altekar has assigned this variety to Chandragupta II, in fact based on it's weight, this coin should actually be assigned to Chandragupta III.
Also refer to 'Chandragupta III: Tracing the Coins of a Gupta King' by Ellen M. Raven as an additional reference to Coins with symbols on the Obverse. The symbol shown on the coin below is not a Sun symbol but in fact a Sri Vatsa symbol.
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
with Sri-Vasta symbol on obverse. This is a different symbol than the Sun Symbol that Altekar referred to for Variety O in his Corpus.
Weight 9.1gms
Based on the heavy weight of this coin, it is possible that this coin was minted during Chandragupta III. Altekar, however ascribes this coin to Class II, Variety O.
Also refer to 'Chandragupta III: Tracing the Coins of a Gupta King' by Ellen M. Raven as an additional reference to Coins with symbols on the Obverse.
CLASS II, New Variety V - King with Dagger
The coin below shows the King with Dagger at his waist - very similar in design to the Samdragupta Archer with Dagger coins. Also, the style of the dagger is exactly the same as the Samudragupta coins.
1.90cm, 7.74gms.
King is shown holding the bow at the top and wearing a belt with a big buckle. A string of pearls is shown flowing from the back of his head, and he wears big earrings. Chandra under Kings left arm.
