Lot 822: India, Gupta Empire. Skandagupta. Ca. A.D. 455-480. AR drachm.

Skandagupta. Ca. A.D. 455-480. AR drachm (13 mm, 1.67 g). King's bust facing right, wearing elaborate headgear / Bull seated right, with Brahmi legend around: Parama-bhagavata sri Skandagupta Kramaditya. Pieper -; MACW 4881. Complete legends, with a lovely depiction of Nandi bull. Rare and quite attractive. Toned. Choice very fine. 

A rare bull type of Skandagupta, a numismatic innovation started by him late in his reign, that replaced the normal Garuda symbol that had hitherto appeared on the reverse with a Nandi bull. The Gupta emperors were devotees of Vishnu, so this change from a Vaishnavite symbol to a Shaivite symbol probably coincided with the decline of imperial power in Gujarat. The emperor may have found it necessary to shore up local alliances to keep the invading Huns at bay. If the local elites were devotees of Shiva, changing this symbol may have seemed a small price to pay to cement their loyalty.

• Offered By: Barry P. Murphy
• Lot #: 822
• Listing #: 234862
• Closed: Friday, September 28, 2018 6:16:50 PM CT
• Estimate: $200