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Auction: 18005 - British and Foreign Coins and Commemorative Medals
Lot: 652

Burma (Myanmar), Mon kingdom of Sudhammapura (c. 6th century), gold Unit of c. 60 rattis, 6.37g, Wheel of Law with 14 spokes, rev. Srivatsa or stylised temple (Mitchiner SEA -), pierced in one place, somewhat waterworn, good fine / fine, believed to be unrecorded and extremely rare

This unique coin has been stylistically attributed to the Mon Kingdom of Sudhammapura (Thaton). Mitchiner states that Thaton only started minting its own coinage in the 6th century, following an increase in trade. It was modelled on the coinage of its neighbour and trading partner, Hamsavati, but where Hamsavati had used a Sankh shell on the obverse of its coinage, Thaton chose the Wheel of Law (chakra).
Both Hamsavati and Thaton prospered through their trade in silver and their coinage has previously only been recorded in silver. However, it is quite possible that this unique gold Unit was a contemporaneous strike. It may have been intended as a special donative issue. However it could also have been valid as a coin in the 6th century, as its weight is between the average for the late Pala/Samatata Dinars of the later 7th century and those of the Guptas and imitative Kushan issues ascribed to Bengal 2-300 years earlier.

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Sold for
£1,000