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Auction: 23109 - Spink Numismatic e-Circular 29: Indian and Islamic Coins Featuring 'A Gentleman's Collection of Sri Lankan Coins' Part II - e-Auction
Lot: 8176

(x) Ancient India, Post-Gupta Bengal, Samatata region, Anonymous (c.600- 650), gold Dinar, 5.30g, kingly figure standing left holding a bow right and an arrow left, a standard topped by an ankus (elephant goad) in left field, single Brahmi letters read as sri sri to right of this and below in right field rev. stylized female figure wearing cloak standing right, pseudo legend in right field (Group - (Group I for legend and type, Group F for type of standard), N. Rhodes (ed. W. Bertsch), "The Coinage of Samatata", JONS 228, Summer 2016, pp.9-15), reverse a little double struck, about uncirculated, scarce

After the fall of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century, the history of Bengal is unclear. It is only relatively recently that gold coins of this type have been found in south eastern Bengal, in the area covered by ancient Samatata. Their design is clearly derived from that of the Guptas (or earlier Kushans), with a standing kingly figure on the obverse and a deity or goddess on the reverse. Some of them bear legends on the obverse but in the case of this coin there are only two letters and this particular type is not catalogued by Rhodes / Bertsch (see below). However, the design of the figures corresponds with coins found in groups F - J.

The references in this listing are taken from a posthumous paper by Nicholas Rhodes, "The Coinage of Samatata" edited by Wolfgang Bertsch, published in the Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society #228, Summer 2016 https://www.orientalnumismaticsociety.org/archive/ONS_228.pdf#page=15


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Estimate
£700 to £900

Starting price
£700