50 AD Superb gold 12-ratti coin, King Prasannamatra, Sarabhapuriya, c.525-50 AD, Eastern India

Uniface coin with Garuda flanked by discus (dagger?) and conch; Brahmi legend Prasannamatra and a conch shell below // Same in incuse. 16mm, 1.31 grams. ATEC 5207; cf. Baldwin 37 (4 May 2004), lot 1344. 

Superb quality, very rare, especially this nice.

A hoard of these coins surfaced on the numismatic market around 15 years ago, making them briefly more available. However, no significant new finds have been reported since, and they have since become increasingly difficult to obtain.

King Prasannamatra was a ruler of the Sarabhapuriya dynasty, which held power in parts of present-day Chhattisgarh and Odisha during the 6th century CE. The Sarabhapuriyas are known primarily through their inscriptions and coinage, and they played a key role in the early history of Dakshina Kosala. Prasannamatra is attested through inscriptions that suggest he continued the dynasty’s tradition of religious patronage, particularly toward Shaivism. His rule likely marked a period of consolidation and relative stability, as the dynasty maintained control over strategic regions in eastern India. Although details about his reign are limited, he is part of a line of kings who helped shape the political and cultural landscape of early medieval central India before the rise of the Panduvamshi successors.

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