Bust of king, right, completely corrupt Greek inscription around, date va110 GE (=430 AD) behind the bust / Formalized Garuda standing facing with spread wings. In Brahmi Parama-bhagavata rajahiraja Sri Kumaragupta Mahendraditya ("Absolutely holy King of Kings Lord Kumaragupta Mahendraditya").  15mm, 2.14 grams. Mitchiner ACW 4845ff. SKU T2021-52673

The early Gupta drachmas were derived from the earlier coins of Kshatrapas (obverse was practically unchanged, while the mountain on reverse was replaced with the image of Garuda). This type of Kumaragupta's drachms is always dated - from ca.107 to 118 GE (427-438 AD), the date behind the bust was placed upside down, reading downward. On this coin the entire date (110 GE) preceded by "va" (for "varshe" = year) is clear. Exceptionally high quality piece, well-struck and centered, very rare with a readable date.

Kumaragupta I (Mahendraditya) was a ruler of the Gupta Empire in 415455 CE. Like his father and predecessor, Chandragupta II, Kumaragupta was an able ruler. He retained, intact, the vast empire, which extended from Bengal to Kathiawar and from the Himalayas to the Narmada. He issued silver coins in the style of the newly conquered Western Kshatrapas, though the Kshatrapa symbols on the reverse were replaced with the Gupta symbol Garuda.