Vol. VI, No. 4.] History and Ethnology of N.-E. India — I. 143 



[N.S.] 



have had a genuine Gupta coin as a model. The type seems 

 altogether new, as nothing approximating to the reverse can be 

 found in any paper dealing with Gupta coinage ; but the rubbing 

 of an almost identical coin (found in the possession of a ryot at 

 Kotwalipara) was sent me last year by Babu Kallpada Maitra, 

 Assistant Settlement officer, Farldpur. Subsequent attempts 

 to purchase this Kotwalipara coin have proved unsuccessful, 

 but as it was found in company of a Skandagupta coin with 

 very similar type of figure of king, 1 it appears likely to be an 

 example of a new type of Skandagupta 5 s coinage. 



No. 2. — Gold (probably struck from a die). Weight 88*3 

 grs. Size -88 inch. 



Obverse : — Similar to the first coin, except that a horse, 

 standing in front of a small altar, occurs under the king's left 

 arm, while between the king's head and the head of the 

 garuda standard is the word Sri in Gupta characters {of. 

 I.M.C., PL XV, No. 12, for similar letters). The bow is also 

 smaller than in No. 1. 



Reverse: — Practically the same as the reverse of No. I, 

 but with more detail, The edge of the coin has evidently 

 been mechanically waved after the coin has been struck, a 

 hollow on the obverse corresponding with a dot on the reverse. 

 Both in this coin, as well as in No. 1, the figure on the reverse 

 is at 90° to that on the obverse. 



This second coin is evidently based upon one of a similar 

 type to the first. It is, however, more interesting as pointing 

 to the existence of another series of coins commemorating an 

 Asvamedha (Horse sacrifice). If the identification of the first 

 coin with one of Skandagupta' s be correct, this may perhaps 

 be the Asvamedha celebrated by Kumaragupta I in which Ins 

 son Skandagupta may well have taken a part. 



Unless these coins be genuine, it is difficult to suggest any 

 hypothesis to account for the discovery of coin No. 1, except 

 that the manufacture of these coins from genuine Gupta coins 

 l>as been going on for some time in the vicinity of Dacca. 

 Moreover in the absence of the Newari who disposed of coin 

 No. 2 to the poddar, it is impossible to say for certain whether 

 the coins actually originate from Dacca. There is, however, 

 nothing inherently improbable in believing the latter to be the 

 case, as besides the Kotwalipara find mentioned above, Gupta 

 coins belonging to several kings have also been discovered as 

 Muhammadpur in the north-east of Jessore (J.A.S.B., 1852, 

 p. 401), while the well-known Allahabad inscription of Samudra- 



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1 A cast of this Skandagupta coin was shown at the Anniversary 

 meeting. It resembles I.M.C., No. 8, Plate XVI. From the discovery 

 during a visit to Kotwalipara on 30/1/10 of three more coins similar to 

 No. 1 , I am now inclined to regard them as Bengal coins of a somewhat 



j&ter date than Skandagupta. On one coin a clear 1 appears on the 

 obverse under the king's left arm. 



