Silver coins of Skandagupta can be divided into 4 Classes:
CLASS I - with GARUDA
Obverse - Bust of King, with greek letters O, U, H, in front of face... similar to Silver coinage from Chandragupta II and Kumaragupta I.
Reverse - Garuda standing facing on wavy line. Legend: Parama bhagavata - [maharajadiraja] - Sri Skandagupta -Karamaditya (The King of Kings, Sri Skandagupta Karamaditya, great devotee of Vishnu.)
CLASS II - with BULL Reverse - Bull (nandi) recumbent to right. Circular legend: Paramabhagavata-[maharajadhiraja] - Sri Skandagupta-Karamaditya.
CLASS III - with ALTAR Reverse - Alatar in the center with 3 flames rising above it. Two Varieties. Legend: Paramabhagavata-Vikaramaditya-Skandaguptah - in Variety A Paramabhagavata-Sri-Skandaguptah Karamdityah - in Variety B
CLASS IV - with PEACOCK Reverse - Fan tailed Peacock in the center - beautiful execution. Two Varieties. Legend: Vijitavaniravanipatir-jayati divam Skandaguptoyam - in Variety A. Vijitavaniravanipatis Sri Skandagupto divam jayati - in Variety B.
CLASS V - with TRISHUL AND BULL TO LEFT Obverse - King faces to the left Reverse - Trishul shown next to Bull recumbent to left. Legend: Sri Skandagupta
SKANDAGUPTA SILVER COIN GARUDA
Skandagutpa - Class I - Garuda
This coin below is an outstanding example of the skills of the mint masters. Reverse Legend .... Gupta Karammaditya...
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
Class I Stylized form of Garuda Bird Legend Sri Skanda...
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
Class I With Garuda bird on Reverse. Full Legend.
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
Class II Bull facing right on reverse Full Legend: Parama-bhagvata Sri Skandagupta Karamaditya
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
Class II Bull facing right on reverse Full Legend: Parama-bhagvata Sri Skandagupta Karamaditya
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
Class II Bull facing right on reverse Full Legend: Parama-bhagvata Sri Skandagupta Karamaditya
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
Class III ALTAR Crescents shown on crown of king Altar with 2 columns
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
Class III ALTAR with 3 columns
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
SKANDAGUPTA COIN
Class V - very Rare variety
Bull with Trishul Legend: Sri Skanda Gupta
According to William Spengler, first and only coin found with Trishul in the reverse.
NOT listed in Mitchner.
SKANDAGUPTA 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.
skandagupta Bronze coins
Debased bi-drachms. Bronze. Cruderiety R (?)
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. Some have suggested that this may have been issued by Chandragupta III ? It's possible, however, coin does not show signs of debased gold ....
SKANDAGUPTA BRONZE COINS
Altar on reverse Crude legend - Sri Skandagupta Kra-ma gupta Peculiar stylized King, Fire Altar on top left (same fire altar design as shown on Samudragupta Standard Designs), Weight is 8.56gms. Some have suggested that this may have been issued by Chandragupta III ? It's possible, however, coin does not show signs of debased gold ....
