The Shivlee Collection©

SAMUDRAGUPTA - Asvamedha Type

The Asvamedha coins of Samudragupta are probably one of most beautifully executed coin designs in all of Indian numismatics. The Asvamedha ceremony or horse sacrifice was a way for Samudragupta to celebrate the victories of his conquests of Northern, Western and Southern India.   These coins were probably handed out as commemorative tokens during this hold ceremony and were probably not used as part of commerce.  This may be the reason that Asvamedha coins discovered 2000 years later are still in good condition.

SAMUDRAGUPTA ASVAMEDHA COIN

This particular coin is a very rare variety of the Asvamedha type.  The Queen is shown in the reverse as a Pregnant Queen. 

Obverse:  A beautiful rendition of the horse, tied to a yupa, the letter si (short for siddham). Horse is standing on the platform vedi.  Penons of cloth flying from the top of the yupa over the horse.   In this coin, you can also see a string of beaded pearls also flying above the horse's mane as well as a mane itself is depicted with pearls beaded into the hair.

Circular Legend:  Rajadirajah pritvimatitva divam jayatayahritavajimedhah (The King of Kings, who had performed the Vajimedha (Asvamedha) sacrifice, wins heaven after protecting (or vijitya conquering) the earth)  

7.58gms 

Reverse:   Pregnant Queen (Queen Dattadevi) shown standing next to Yupa, holding a Chauri in hand and standing on a Lotus.

Asvamedhaparakramah (One powerful enough to perform the Asvamedha Sacrifice).

SAMUDRAGUPTA ASVAMEDHA COIN

This particular coin is possibly either a very good forgery or a very rare variety of the Asvamedha type. 

There are elements in this coin that are very good and correct for the design type.  The script is correct, the design elements of the Horse standing on the platform, tied to a yupa, the letter si (short for siddham). Horse standing on the platform vedi.  Penons of cloth flying from the top of the yupa over the horse.  

Circular Legend:  Rajadirajah pritvimatitva divam jayatayahritavajimedhah (The King of Kings, who had performed the Vajimedha (Asvamedha) sacrifice, wins heaven after protecting (or vijitya conquering) the earth)  

The heavy weight may possibly lead one to think of this coin as a possible forgery.

The weight of this coin is 7.98gms and this would make this specimen one of the heavier coins of this type.   However, one must use caution when only relying on the weight as it is quite common in Gupta Numismatics to find either low weight coins or coins with heavier weights (than the prescribed weight range of the coin type).

An astute student of the Gupta numismatics would realize that while there were standards that were followed at the mints, there still was a substantial freedom in creating mint designs and in many cases varying from the known 'standards' was not unusual for the die designers.

Also, due to the vast empire under Samudragupta, it is possible that Mints in the east or west or the south were trying to emulate coin designs that may have originated at one of these mints. 

The question that does come up is whether a coin design that exhibits a slight departure in deign elements from the original design is necessarily a 'forgery'?  As the student studies the vast range of coins and mints, they will find that this is a very difficult question to answer.  

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