Drachm - Vigrahapala Sri Vi dramma ND

Reverse

The fire altar is a pedestal with horizontal lines above and below, on either side is a solid circle with an inverted triangle on the top and another below. The flames above the altar are in the form of a stupa or church steeple.
Altar is flanked by one attendant on either side.

Edge

Plain

Comment

Track 3 of Indo-Sassanian Coinage - Eastern Indo-Sassanian coinage - Imperial Pratihara Empire 

The Pratiharas - Sri Vi - tentative period CE 778 - 883 CE 

This emission (fig 122) evolved from Sri Vigra with legend in two lines, Sri in front of the bust and Vi  below it.

Fig 122                                                                                         a sample coin

There’s a gradual degradation, fig 123 below shows sketches depicting various stages and sample coins

The portrait that starts as a fine line drawing (fig 122) becomes thick.

Fig 123a

The portrait keeps getting enlarged so that the nose and lips can barely be accommodated and only part of the legend gets a foothold in the remaining space

Fig 123b

The growing portrait leaves space only for a line to indicate the chin and two dots for the lips and the legend.

Fig 123c

Further degradation leaves only two dots of the lips and a larger Sri

Fig 123d

The Sri takes over, edging out all other motifs on the obverse.

Fig 123e

The reverse of the Vigrahapala dramma is carried over to the next emission Srimadadivarha dramma.

Fig 115a - reverse of Vigrahapala dramma                                 Fig 115b - reverse of Srimadadivaraha dramma

The above information is based on studies conducted by KK Maheshwari & extracted from his book - Imitations in Continuity

image credits -
1. Imitations in Continuity - K.K. Maheshwari
2. Amit Kher Collection

Interesting fact