NEW BOOK: COINS OF THE GUPTA DYNASTY

Treasures of the Gupta Empire: A Catalogue of Coins of the Gupta Dynasty

Printed Hard Cover book with Color Dust Jacket, 440 pages, Full Color, 8"x10" 1500+ images. Includes dust jacket.
$149.00

Leather bound book (bonded leather) with Color Dust Jacket, 440 pages, 8"x10" Book Cover is bound in bonded black bonded leather with Gold Foil imprinting. Includes a color dust jacket. This option is only available in limited quantities.
$179.00

Within USA: $13.45 each book ​

International shipping: $66.50 for each book or $91.00 for 4-5 books in one box.

This book covers the history and the entire Coinage of the Gupta Dynasty from the start in 319 AD to it's end in 543 AD. It also includes the Coinage of the Later Guptas and the related dynasties of Bengal. The author has illustrated every coin variety in Gold, Copper and Lead as well as a complete range of all known Silver coins with dates struck by the Gupta kings. The classification is comprehensive and intuitive.

The book includes an excellent section on the iconography, metal analysis, history and the evolution of the designs seen on the Gupta gold coins. This book is an quintessential guide for Collectors and Dealers in coins to better understand the relative rarity and the different varieties with a full representation of the coins from Private Collections and most of the major Museums in India and across the world.

While coins have existed for over two thousand years in India, none have matched the sheer beauty and complexity of design as the coins issued by the kings of Gupta Dynasty from the 4th through 6th century AD.

Starting from the first of the Gupta kings, Chandragupta I in 319 AD, to the last the King Vishnugupta in 543 AD, their coins are a historical record detailing the evolution of the Gupta style and its impact on religious art from this golden age of India. The clues hidden in the coin designs, legends, dates and metrology all speak volumes and have here been deciphered to help reconstruct the history of the dynasty. In this book an attempt has been made to catalogue the entire coinage in gold, silver, lead and copper, listing all known coin types and varieties. The book also includes a detailed analysis of the designs, dates and metrology and an extensive discussion of the history of the Gupta Empire.

The last complete catalogue of the Gupta Dynasty coinage was published by Dr. A.S. Altekar in 1957, and since then no one has been successful in fully cataloging the entire series. This work, published here on the 60th anniversary of Dr. Altekar’s seminal work, is a continuation of that effort to fully document the coinage and to understand it's impact on the history of India. It includes the rarest of the coins, published here for the first time, from major Museum collections in India, and around the world as well as private collections, most of which are inaccessible to researchers.

The book is designed as a guide for collectors, scholars and history buffs alike. It will help researchers fully understand the complex history and inscriptions, as well as the vast and beautiful coinage of the Gupta Dynasty and will serve as a comprehensive reference on the Gupta Dynasty numismatics.

History is always written by the victors. The gap between what was fact versus reality during the Gupta Period is what this book is all about. In some cases, the historical facts written by the victors and the evidence from inscriptions and coins can lead to very different conclusions, and in many cases, create conflicting narratives. Solving the mystery of ancient India is like walking through a dark tunnel, with occasional glimpses of light, and fleeting clues that can help us reconstruct the true story. Coins issued by victors and victims alike, speak volumes, and this book is about piecing together evidence from the coins issued by the kings ruling over the Gupta Empire.

This book is a work of love and passion. Like all passionate journeys, first one must fall in love. I fell in love with these beautiful coins at a very young age. Their intricate designs, the action scenes, the different kings all fascinated me as a young child, and I marvelled at the coin collections showcased in the Coin Gallery at the National Museum in Delhi. My hope is that the beautiful designs of the coins and the decades of research summarised and presented in this book, will continue to shine a bright light on the mystery that is India, to help inspire and fuel the imaginations of the children of India and future generations who can continue to dream of exploring its rich history.

For more information, or to order, see:
www.treasuresoftheguptaempire.com

Baldwin's is delighted to present the phenomenal and vitally important new volume from Sanjeev Kumar, covering the history and the entire coinage of the Gupta Dynasty, from the very start in AD 319 to its end in AD 543.

The book includes iconography, metal analysis, history and the evolution of the designs seen on the Gupta Gold Coins, and is the new quintessential guide for anyone with an interest in this fascinating period of India's history. The book serves as the new way to understand the relative rarity and the different varieties with a full representation of the coins from private collections, major museums in India and across the world.

HARDBOUND WITH COLOUR DUST JACKET: £179
LEATHERBOUND (BONDED LEATHER) WITH DUST JACKET: £199
(plus postage and packing)

You can order your copy right now by emailing us directly:
Abigail@baldwin.co.uk

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