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| Gupta Dynasty of Tiger Slayer |
Gupta Dynasty, Kumaragupta I (Mahendraditya) (415-455 AD), Gold Dinar, "Tiger - Slayer" Type, Obv: king, nimbate, standing in tribhanga posture facing to left, wearing turban, earrings, dhoti, long sash at waist, trampling Tiger by right foot and shooting at it with bow held in right hand with left hand shown as having released the bow string, Tiger is falling backwards with gaping mouth, Brahmi letter 'Ku' with surmounted crescent at the right field, circular Brahmi legend "Srimam......", Rev: goddess Ganga, nimbate, standing on a Makara (crocodile) facing left, feeding a peacock with her right hand while the left is holding a lotus with long stalk is seen adjacent to the goddess's face, tamgha at upper left, Brahmi legend at right field "Kumaraguptodhiraja", 7.97g, 18.91mm, (variant of Altekar, Bayana Hoard # Pl. XXVII- 4&5/TOTGE, S. Kumar # Var. A.1), choice very fine, Exceedingly Rare.
This coin represents a revival of the tiger slayer type by Kumaragupta, it was one of the rarest types of his grand-father Samudragupta. However, his father Chandragupta II did not issue coins in this type. The obverse legends which went off flan on this specimen reads “Srimam Vyaghrabalaparakkramah” श्रीमां व्याध्रबलपराक्रम: translates in English as “His Majesty having the strength and valour of a tiger”. The reverse legend reads “Kumarguptodhirajah” कुमारगुप्तोधिराजा:, it means that the “Kumargupta is a King over Kings”. The Goddess standing on crocodile is associated with Goddess Ganga.
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