CANDAR: Anonymous, 5th/6th century, Mahlo, p.157, #4.6.2 (this piece), Htun-164.3, elephant right, goring a lion // female goddess Ganga, holding flower on tall stem, standing in the jungle, weak design on both sides, the result of having been struck with very worn dies, crude VF, RRR. Mahlo suggests that this type was based on the style of Kumaragupta I (AD 414-455), and there is certainly some artistic resemblance to Gupta prototypes, but this is an entirely different design. There is also some stylistic similarity to the earliest coins of Samatata, also styles derived from Gupta precedents. The actual origin of this type has not been determined, though the 3 confirmed known specimens are all said to have come from the Bilin area in the Mon district of southeastern Myanmar. This extremely rare type was not listed by Mitchiner, and none are posted on Zeno, with only one example on CoinArchives, from our Auction 28, Lot 1053.
