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