Gupta Empire - gold dinar of Chandragupta II (c.375-415 AD), 'Horseman' type, S. Kumar Class I, variety not listed but similar to A.3 (RRR),
notably wider flan than the average for this variety, 20.88mm, 7.82g. Obv: Nimbate King, head inclined, riding on caparisoned horse, cantering to left, left hand on hip, waist-band flying behind him; Brahmi legend Paramabhagavato Maharajadhiraja Shri Chandraguptah, visible in parts from 12 o'clock along the margin. Rev: Nimbate Goddess Lakshmi seated in profile, facing left, on a decorative wicker stool, hair tied into bun, holding a long stemmed lotus with root nodules at the base in her left hand and a diadem in her right; Brahmi legend Ajitavikramah in the right field, with a Tamgha in the left field; dotted border around.
Broad-flan coin with a pleasingly bold strike, Good very fine, Extremely rare.
The Horseman-type gold dinars are among Chandragupta II's notable innovations, as this design does not appear on the coinage of his predecessors. The obverse legend reads: “The great devotee of Vishnu, the Great King of Kings, His Highness Chandraguptah”, while the reverse bears the epithet Ajitavikramah, meaning “one who is unconquered and valorous.” Its iconography—showing the king riding a caparisoned horse - emphasizes royal valour, military strength, and sovereign authority. With Chandragupta II at the helm, the Gupta Empire reached its zenith. He continued his father Samudragupta's expansionist policies and undertook successful military campaigns, particularly the conquest of the Western Kshatrapas, which contributed significantly to the expansion of the Gupta Empire.
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