Ancient ; Gupta Dynasty ; Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya II) (375-415 AD), Gold Dinar ; “Lion Slayer” type ;

Description

Ancient ; Gupta Dynasty, Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya II) (375-415 AD), Gold Dinar, “Lion Slayer” type,
Obv: the king, nimbate, is seen mid-hunt, wearing a dhoti, a cap with a pearl string behind, a necklace and in armour, the king is seen holding bow in the right hand with the left having released the bow string and slaying the Lion and the Lion is seen falling backwards with an arrow in its mouth facing the king, circular Brahmi legend “Narandrachandrah Pra(thitarano rane jayatyajayyo bhuvi Sinha)vikramah?,
Rev: nimbate, goddess Ambika-Lakshmi, seen wearing jewelry on her ears, neck, arms, waist and ankles, is seated in Vamardhaparyanka pose on couchant Lion to right, the goddess is seen holding diadem in her right hand with a lotus stalk coiled around her left arm, with an unidentifiable rope hanging from the wrist of the left hand which rests on her thigh, Brahmi legend at right “Simhavikramah”, (variant of Altekar, Bayana Hoard # Pl. XVI-8/TOTGE, S. Kumar # Class III-Var.B.3), about extremely fine, Exceedingly Rare.

Weight : 7.72 Grams

This beautiful specimen with the figures of the Devi, the King as lion-slayer and the lion itself visible in complete detail, is a testament to the rich and refined artistic capabilities of the Gupta era and lends credence to this period being the Golden Era in the subcontinent?s history.