54 N. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. (N.S., XIX, 
239. Novres oN THE Gupta AND LATER GuPTA COINAGE. 
1. Coins of Samachara Deva. 
A copper-plate inscription of a king of Eastern India, 
who is called Samachara Deva on the plate, was discovered in 
1909 in the village of Ghugrahati. under the Kotalipada Police 
Station of the Faridpar district of Bengal. It was edited by 
Mr. R. D. Banerji, M.A, of the Archeological Survey in 
J.A.S.B., August 1910. Mr. Banerji tried to prove that the 
rant was spurious, while Mr. Pargiter contended that it was a 
perfectly genuine one (J.A.S8.B., 1911, June and August), The 
late Dr. Bloch ridiculed the idea of a king with such a curious 
name as Samachara,—‘ Mr. Decency.” (A.S.R., 1907-8, p. 256.) 
As a result, Samachara Deva’s existence and identity can 
hardly be said to have yet been satisfactorily established, and 
any new light on the subject may be welcome. Now, did 
Samachara Deva actually live and reign? Mr. Pargiter has 
already answered this question. ‘‘ Even if the grant were 
spurious, no forger would be so foolish as to date it in the 
reign of a king who never existed.” (J.A.S.B., August 1911, 
p. 499.) Fortunately, we can adduce stronger proofs of his 
existence than mere reasons—proofs which have been actually 
in the hands of previous writers, though no one has ever 
suspected their existence hitherto. I refer to the two coins, 
are both of gold (considerably alloyed with silver). One of 
them, of the Rajalila or the ‘throned king’ type, was found 
on the banks of the Arunkhali river, near Muhammadpiar, In 
the Jessore district of Bengal. It was found along with a 
gold coin of Sasanka and another gold coin of the light-weight 
‘‘Imitation Gupta” type, as well as silver coins of Chandra- 
gupta, Skandagupta, and Kumaragupta. (Allan, Catalogue 
of Gupta Coins, Introduction, Section 171; and J.A8.B., 
1852, Plate XII.) The provenance of the other coin is un- 
known. It is of the common ‘archer type’ of the Gupta coms. 
° hat aiva. The 
king’s name he reads hesitatingly (Section 165) as Saha oF 
