The Archer Type of Skandagupta shows the king facing left, Skanda under kings left arm. Bow held at top with left hand, arrow in right hand. is divided into two varieties:
Variety A:
Obverse legend is possibly Jayati mahitalam (Skandaguptah) sudhanvi - 'The excellent archer Skandagupta conquers the earth'. Weight is approx 8.5gms. No long flowing sash or hunter or whip at kings waist.
Reverse legend - Sri Skandagupta
Variety B:
Obverse legend to be fully deciphered - possibly Parahitakari raja jayati divam sri karamadityah - Upagati metre - 'The king Karamaditya, the benefactor of others, wins the heaven.' Weight is approx 9.3gms. A long flowing sash is shown at kings waist on all coins of this variety. Altekar referred to it as a "whip" while describing this effect on some of the coins of Chandragupta.
Reverse legend - Karamaditya
Variety A: With reverse legend - Sri Skandagupta
Skandagupta Archer Type Var A coin
8.52gm, 1.9cm
Variety B
9.07gm
Obverse Legend starting at 12 O'clock Parahitakari raja .... Reverse Biruda: Karamadit 'ya' is missing
skanda gupta
Skandagupta coin
skandagupta coin
skandagupta reverse coin
SKANDAGUPTA ARCHER SILVER FULL DINAR
Full dinar version in Silver ! 6.4gms 19-20mm.
Gupta Kings are not known to have issued coins in Silver in the full dinar denomination. This coin is the first of it's type of be discovered that was struck from a die used for striking full size gold dinars, but STRUCK IN SILVER metal. This specimen is in pure silver and shows signs of being struck from a die (vs. being a cast coin).
It is possible that this coin was struck in silver using the gold dinar dies and gold plated to try to pass it off as a full gold dinar.
