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Lakshmi coins

 

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Punchmarked coins ] [ Lakshmi coins ] Elephant Swastika ] Tree and Swastika ] Maneless Lion ] Rectangular Bull ]

The Lakshmi coins are made of two varieties of metal. Those struck are usually of copper. The majority of the cast pieces seem to be of a brittle metal, leaden colored, which would break sooner than bend; it is of a composition of lead and copper (lead 60% and copper 15%). The coins occur in several sizes and weights, suggestive of fractional pieces with corresponding wholes, perhaps conforming to a weight standard that has not yet been determined. There is little doubt that these were coins and were never meant to be anything else. 

The obverse type is a graceful representation of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, draped in a broad girdle, standing on a large lotus and holding in either hand a lotus stalk of the same plant, usually arising from the flower beneath her feet, and ending in a small lotus. She wears bangles on the arms, anklets on the legs below the knee and also conspicuous earrings. In her abhisheka on either side of her figure a small elephant stands on a lotus at the level of the shoulder, apparently holding in it’s upturned trunk a pot and sprinkling water over her head.

The reverse is occupied by a bold swastika, railed and mounted on a staff, with a symbol in the field on either side.

The absence of a number of symbols and the general style suggest that these plaques may have been more or less contemporary to the Bo-tree and Swastka pieces.

The Lakshmi coins are mainly of 3 types: 

Cast Lakshmi 

Struck Lakshmi

Square Lakshmi

An ultra rare small Lakshmi coin in Silver is also known.

 

 

Up ] Cast Lakshmi ] Struck Lakshmi ] Square Lakshmi ]