Gupta Empire,Chandra Gupta II (375-415 AD), Gold Dinar, 'Archer' type, Altekar Class II, var. M, 7.73g.
Obv: Nimbate king, wearing tunic and leggings, standing facing left with one leg flexed, holding a bow by its middle in one hand while resting on it, and an arrow in the other hand, with Garuda standard in the background. The bow appears to have two ribbons attached to it at its grip; Brahmi legend Deva Shri…Chandragupta in exergue.
Rev: Nimbate goddess Lakshmi seated crosslegged on a lotus, with outstretched arms, holding a lotus in one hand, and a noose in the other; Brahmi legend Shri Vikra(mah) to the right and Tamgha to left.
About Extremely Fine, Extremely Rare.
An extremely rare variation of the 'Archer' type, illustrated in Altekar only by its obverse. It is unique in terms of the fact that it does not have the name of the king written under his arm. "This is an extremely rare variety and perhaps less than 5 pieces are known. To the best of the cataloguer's knowledge a coin of this variety has not been offered in any auction in past two decades or so."
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