Prakasaditya is known only from his coins. No other inscriptions of his existance have been found. His coins are relatively pure in gold content and do not show the adulteration that started permeating the coins after Skandagupta's reign.
His coins introduced a new style - Horseman type combined with a Lion Slayer type - quite possibly picking up the style from Kumaragupta I who could have been either his father or grandfather.... Kumaragupta I who had issued a new type during his reign - the Rhinoceros Slayer type. Some historians place Prakasaditya same as Purugupta - brother of Skandagupta. The coins have a biruda 'sriprakasaditya' on the reverse - could this have been a biruda of Purugupta?
HORSEMAN LION SLAYER TYPE:
Obverse shows the King riding a caprisoned horse to the right, bow strung across his shoulder and he is shown bending down and attacking the lion with his sword. Lion is shown on the left rearing up at the King and horse. Outstretched wings of the Garuda bird on standard are seen on the top left edge of the coin. Obverse Legend has not been completely read, it ends with ....vijitya vasudham divam jayati
Reverse: Curde representation of lakshmi sitting on lotus holding a lotus flower. Legend: Sri Prakasaditya
Heavy weight 9.20gms, typical of coins issued in by the later Gupta Kings
Images and design copyright Shivlee Collection
A comprehensive collection of rare gold coins from the Gupta Empire of India.
