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Tetradrachm - Manadeva
| Issuer | Licchavi Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 576-605 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | A female deity, identified as Sri Bhogini, depicted seated in padmasana (lotus position) atop a lotus flower, rendered in a stylized, archaic manner characteristic of early Licchavi coinage. The figure is shown frontally with arms extended, the whole design enclosed within a beaded or dotted border. The legend 'Sri Bhogini' appears in early Brahmi script in the field. The crude, hand-struck fabric of the flan gives the design an irregular, deeply-struck appearance. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A lion passant to the left, depicted in a bold and stylized manner typical of early Licchavi dynastic coinage of Nepal, with the body rendered in low relief against a plain field. The design reflects indigenous artistic conventions, with the animal's form appearing somewhat schematic due to the hammered technique and irregular flan. The legend 'Sri Mananka' appears in early Brahmi script in the field surrounding the lion. The overall strike is characteristic of the crude fabric associated with this series. |
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| Additional information |
Manadeva I is the first Licchavi ruler for whom a firm epigraphic record survives — his Changu Narayan inscription of 464 CE is the oldest dated stone inscription found in the Nepal Valley. Whether this tetradrachm belongs to that earlier reign or to a later Manadeva remains a point of genuine scholarly dispute, and the regnal dates assigned to this type shift depending on which king the issuer is identified as.
The bronze-iron alloy is unusual and points to metal supply constraints rather than deliberate monetary policy. Purely copper or silver issues were not consistently available to Licchavi minters.