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.
Legend: Sri Vikramah
CHANDRAGUPTA BRAHMI TEXT
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.
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
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
8.37 grams.
Archer-and-chakra type.
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. 7.7gms. 1.9cm.
Samudragupta Class I ff
Samudragupta Class 1 rev temp
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
Class II, Variety E
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
Class II, Variety E Long Sash variety 8.1gms
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
Class II, Variety E Long sash off the waist variety. 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 Arm.
8.1gms, Sword hanging off waist.
Class II, Variety G
Very rare style - Only 4 other coins known to exist - all from Bayana Hoard - in Museum collections in India. This specimen is the only one of it's kind in a private collection.
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
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
7.72gmsis not the typical geometric symbol style used on the gold coins - here we see a shankh - a conch shell.
7.60 gms
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
CLASS II, Variety O - 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 these coins is not a Sun symbol as originally proposed by Altekar. It is in fact a SRI-VATSA symbol.
CHANDRAGUPTA II ARCHER
Coin weight over 9.0gms and a sun symbol between kings head and Garuda Bird Banner. This coin's weight is 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.
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.
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:
