Gold coin of Kumaragupta I

A gold coin of Kumaragupta I of the Gupta dynasty. Held in the collection of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the source notes its diameter as 2.2 cm and dates it to circa 414 to 455. On the reverse are the goddess Lakshmi and a peacock. The dynasty placed the goddess of wealth and good fortune on the reverse of its gold. Gupta gold coinage reached its most prosperous period in this century; thereafter, the gold content decreased and the designs became simpler. This piece shows its form before that decline.