Toramana, not Prakasaditya
2177. HUNNIC TRIBES, Alchon Huns. Toramana. Circa 490-515. AV Dinar (18mm, 9.53 g, 12h). [pr˙tk´rjV5]◊] zFjyfi ≥ A◊ñhfixrh[-nVut-] ([parahitkari raja vijitya] vasudham divam jayati avanipati torama[no vijitya]) in Brahmi), male figure wearing Hunnic-style crown on horseback right, bow slung across torso, spearing lion that stands left on its hind legs; Garuda standard above, ® (ru in Brahmi) below / %]πkSD5 (śri prakaśaditya in Brahmi) to right, Lakshmi, nimbate, seated facing on lotus, holding diadem in extended right hand and lotus in left; 0 to upper left. P. Tandon, “The Identity of Prakāśāditya,”Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 25.4 (October 2015) pp. 647-668 (reattributing the issue to Toramana), and fig. 1 (this coin); BKB 222; BMC Guptas 552 corr. (tamgha); Altekar 2; Bayana 13; Sunrise 555. EF. ($5000) Ex Gemini II (11 January 2006), lot 195; Spink 71 (11 October 1989), lot 1020. This issue has traditionally been attributed to a ruler named Prakasaditya, who has been placed with the Guptas. While the types have parallels to certain Gupta issues, the shape of the horseman’s head and the type of headdress he wears have a clear affinity with issues of the Alkhon Huns. This had led to a debate among scholars, with a minority advocating that it was actually a Hunnic issue. Compounding the problem is the fact that the most accessible of these coins have been struck on compact flans, obscuring most of the letters of the name in the obverse legend. Recently, though, this debate came to a conclusion with Pankaj Tandon’s discovery of a coin in a provincial museum in India with the full obverse legend visible. This coin clearly showed that the issuer was the Hunnic king Toramana, and the word Prakasaditya is an epithet for him.
ROMAN PROVINCIAL COINAGE
2178. MACEDON, Koinon of Macedon. Pseudo-autonomous issue. Time of Caracalla, AD 198-217, or Severus Alexander, AD 222-235. AV (11mm, 1.48 g, 12h). In the name of Alexander III of Macedon. Struck AD 215-217 or AD 230/1-235. Lysimachus-style diademed head of Alexander III of Macedon right; no horn of Ammon / Lion, with mouth open, advancing right on ground line; AΛEΞAN above, ΔPOY in exergue. Cf. AMNG III 889 (in silver) or 899 and 900 (in silver and without legend); cf. BMC 97 (in silver); cf. SNG Copenhagen 1381 (in silver and with horn of Ammon). Good VF, a few marks, evidence of prior mounting. Apparently unique in gold for this size and type. ($7500) Ex Triton XVI (8 January 2013), lot 690.
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