Three Rare & Important Dinars of the Kidara Shahis

CNG 109, Lot: 403. Estimate $10000. Sold for $11000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

INDIA, Post-Kushan (Gandhara). Kidara Shahis. Sri Pravarasena. Circa 6th-early 7th century AD. Base AV Dinar (25mm, 7.61 g, 12h). Siva Pashupati (Lord of the Beasts), nimbate and standing left in classical tribhanga pose, making mudra gesture with right hand and holding filleted trident in left; ganas (attendants) to left and right at feet, each holding vase; sri pravarasena in Brahmi in upper left / Goddess enthroned facing, holding [lotus or filleted investiture garland in left hand] and lotus in right; to left, sankha shell set on vase; jaya in Brahmi to right. Cf. Cunningham, Coins of Medieval India 3 (there attributed to Toramana); Todywalla 85, lot 293. Good VF, slight double strike. Extremely rare.

This dinar and the following two add further evidence to our knowledge of post-Gupta numismatics in the region of Gandhara. Although these three coins have different obverses, they all share reverse type, whose similarity suggests that they belong to the same source (For additional examples, see CNG 103, lots 485-486). This dinar shares a number of stylistic affinities with the Meghama below, demonstrating a strong cross-cultural synthesis of post-Kushan and post-Gupta influences on the region in which these coins were minted.