514 On the Coins of the Gupta Dynasty. [No. 6. 



It may be useful to summarize in this place the proved dates, 

 discovered on the various specimens of the peacock coins that I 

 have had an opportunity of inspecting — leaving the consideration 

 of the grounds whereon these determinations are based for future 

 scrutiny. 



Kumara's coins bear ciphers for one hundred and twenty and one — 

 121 ; others display figures for 124 — one piece discloses a unit for five 

 and another a sign which I doubtfully class as a nine, but in both 

 these instances the decimal cipher is obliterated. 



Skanda Gupta's money continues the series in the use of the same 

 figure for one hundred, with the addition of two new symbols in 

 the decimal place. 



Buddha Gupta in like manner dates in the first century of the 

 given era, but the value of his second cipher is undetermined. 



The inscription at Sanchi, it is to be remembered, bears date 165. 



Coppee Coins. 



I notice the copper coins of the Guptas merely to complete the 

 series, as they add nothing of value to the historical enquiry. 



Prinsep remarks that they are " much more scarce than the gold 

 coins of the same age, and hitherto only those of one individual of 

 the family have been met with." Yarieties of these pieces are<. en- 

 graved in figs. 11, 12 and 15, PI. XXXVIII. Vol. V. J. A. S. B. 

 These bear the name and titles of Chandra Gupta on the reverse, 

 which may be restored in full as ^HUCC^T ^ff "W^TH. Nos. 13 

 and 14, of the same plate in addition to the name have "^t f%3\HT« 

 VkW on the obverse, inscribed below the bust of a female offering 

 a flower.* 



Toramana 

 Class 4. S. wt. 32 grains, unique and unpublished. 

 Obverse. The usual Sah type of profile but with the artistic me- 

 rits still further diminished. The head is turned the reverse way 

 and looks to the left. 



In front of the profile are seen the figures for eighty with the 

 uncertain symbol entered last in the line of Gupta units. 



* See also A. A. 427. 



