Lot 7405

Aśvamedha Type, AV dinara, 7.73 g, 21 mm, specific gravity 13.58. Obv.: Elegant horse, with a strong, long neck and prominent mane, stands to left on a platform, faintly visible, next to a sacrificial stake raised on a low stand; pennons wave from the top and post; a crescent above the horse’s haunches. Verse legend (3) is off but would have read rājādhirājaḥ pṛthivīṃ vijitvā divaṃ jayatyāhṛta-vājimedhaḥ, from XI o’clock, meaning ‘After having conquered the earth, the Overlord of Kings, who has performed the vājimedha, wins heaven’ (Raven 2016:110). Below the horse letter si, considered short for siddham, ‘blessings’ / Rev.: Elegant Śrī holding flywhisk as a royal emblem, and a short, ritual cloth. She stands gracefully to left on lotus. Her hip cloth waves along her ankles. A lace of beads graces her cap. Before her an ornamental standard with pennons and what resembles a śrīvatsa lucky-sign top. In the right field the title aśvamedhaparākrama, ‘With the boldness (of a king worthy of) an aśvamedha’. Small crack on V o’clock (Raven 2010: group SG.06; Raven 2016 and frthcmg: SG/Group 3, Var. 3.2; Kumar 2017/2024: Var. I.A.1, Fr.75) - nice good VF, Aśvamedha coins are not rare but exist in many varieties. Double die-linked to next coin. Always modest in gold content; in this style between 14.3-15.6, probably between c. 75-80% gold maximum