1855.] On the Coins of the Gupta Dynasty. 485 



Before proceeding to notice these new silver coins,* it occurs to 

 me, that it may be useful to enter upon a descriptive synoptical 

 view of the entire suite of the Gupta mintages, exhibiting the 

 various published types in serial order, and introducing, as oppor- 

 tunity may offer, any novelties that have become known, since the 

 last article on the subject appeared in this Journal.f Moreover 

 some such systematic classification is clearly demanded in this place, 

 as not only are all previous notices of these coins scattered in de- 

 tached numbers of the Journal, or inserted in other independent 

 works, but our latest contributions necessitate a modification of the 

 serial arrangement of the coins themselves, as well as amended ap- 

 propriations of some of their numbers to the separate monarchs of 

 the line. 



I fear that I must claim indulgent consideration for the 

 many imperfections of this article, for not only was the greater part 

 of it the result of an after-thought, but when that portion was al- 

 ready prepared, new coins continued to pour in upon me even to the 

 last, so that alteration and amendment had to proceed pari passu 

 with the influx of fresh materials, possibly to the serious damage of 

 some sections previously written and forwarded to the printers : 

 add to this, my own contemplated departure from this country has 

 prevented either my recasting this descriptive catalogue, or bringing 

 it to a satisfactory completion in its most important aspect — the 

 due and full explanation of the recently deciphered legends, the first 

 transcript of which time has barely admitted of my submitting to 

 Professor Hall, without the possibility of any further discussion or 

 renewed reference to originals in doubtful cases. 



The recorded Gupta Kings number nine, succeeding in the fol- 

 lowing order : — 



I. Sri Gupta. II. Ghatot Kacha 



III. Chandra Gupta 1st. IV. Samudra Gupta. 



V. Chandra Gupta 2nd. VI. Kumara Gupta. 



VII. Skanda Gupta. VIII. Mahendra Gupta ?{ 



and after an interval Budha Gupta. 



* J. A. S. B. IV. Pis. XXXVIII. and XXXIX. Vol. V. Pis. XXXVI. and 

 XXXVIII. t J- A. S. B. V. 643, and VI. 319. 



% My faith in the sufficiency of the identification of Mahendra Gupta as the 



3 s 2 



