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India, Gupta Empire, Kumara Gupta

Currency:INR Category:Coins & Paper Money / Indian Coins - Ancient Start Price:500,000.00 INR Estimated At:500,000.00 - 600,000.00 INR
India, Gupta Empire, Kumara Gupta
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Gupta Empire, Kumara Gupta, (c. 415-455 AD), Gold Heavy Dinar, 8.10 grams, Tiger Slayer type, type A (letter “Ku” with crescent under King’s left arm). Obv. King stands in the classic Tribhanga posture facing to the left. He is in the act of shooting an arrow from his bow at a tiger which is always facing him and seems to be falling backward. Unlike the various poses of the king and the lion in the Lion-Slayer Type coins, we only see this one pose on these Tiger-Slayer coins. The king wears a crown, bare-chested but with jewelry, and is shown wearing a jänghia. Under the king's left arm we can see the letters “Ku” with a crescent above on this coin. The legend on the obverse is “?r?mám vyg?hrabalaparakramah” - The glorious (King) whose strength and valor is like that of a tiger'. Rev. the Goddess Ganga is shown standing on a Makara while bending down to feed a peacock. This design is a combination of the reverse design seen on Samudra Gupta Tiger-Slayer Type coins (Goddess on Makara) and the Kumara Gupta I Horseman Type coins (Goddess feeding a peacock). The goddess has a halo and stands on a Makara with her right leg bent forward. She feeds the peacock with her right hand and her left-hand rests at her waist but is also shown holding a lotus flower. The legend on the reverse is “Kum?ragupto 'dhirajah” - Emperor Kumaragupta. Near mint state, Extremely Rare. As complete both legends are visible on both obverse and reverse. Note: A total of only seventy coins of this type are known so far as per Treasures of the Gupta Empire by Sanjeev Kumar. Variety A Page No. 329.