Bayana Hoard II - Gupta Coin Hoards Found Before Bayana Hoard was found

Instances are plenty. Many gupta coins hoards were found before Bayana containing upto 200 coins in one find. But most of them look insignificant when compared to the mammoth find of Bayana. Finding only gold coins was the most significant.

The other hoards which were found prior to Bayana in 1952 were mainly at:

Allahabad

Kalighat

Tanda

Jaunpur

Jhansi

Gopalpur etc

The above hoards were found during later half of 18th century, the time when numismatics was not a serious field of study. Many coins were melted or given away as gifts to people of notable ranks. when they were brought to the notice of colonial rulers many were melted as there was no knowledge of its importance. Most of the time the the coins were treated as coins of Persia since the British officers full of hatred towards india were not ready to believe that such remarkabel pieces of art could have existed in this subdued land of simple dal, rice and fish eating hindus. Late in 19th and 20th centuries they were despatched in small numbers to some serious collectos and later to british museum but the specimen were mostly standard types of coins. British museum acquired brilliant pieces of gupta coins later, though.

The Bayana hoard brought out the most unknown types of gupta dynasty coins to the numismatics knowledge. The most striking coin found was Chakravikrama type coins of Chandragupta II. There are only 2-3 coins known to exist of this type. In this coin. the king is depicted receving three gifts from the Lord Vishnu himself on obverse which has no legend while the reverse depicts goddess lakshmi with legend in Brahmi Chakraviramah. I have tried to find an image of this coin searching thru google but to no avail. once this is available the same will be shared.

the other more important coins found in bayana hoards were elephant rider Lion slayer type, Rhinoceros slayer type, Elephant rider type, swordsman type, Lyrist type, apratigha type etc - all of these were coins of Kumargupt I.

The metrical sanskrit legends written on these coins using various sanskrit meters praising the king's achievements, nature and valour were first of its kind ever known to numismatists.

more later.