Vijayanagara Empire | Gold Bele

Vijayanagara Empire | Gold BeleHistory of the Artifact This solid gold coin, known as a bele (often called a pagoda in later numismatic literature), was issued by the Vijayanagara Empire between the 14th and 17th centuries, with production centred on the imperial capital at Hampi. Struck to an extraordinarily small and precise weight standard, the bele is widely regarded as the smallest gold coin ever regularly issued. The obverse typically depicts Varaha, the boar avatar of Vishnu

Bronze nummi bearing a cross on the reverse are emblematic of the increasing integration of Christianity into the fabric of the late Roman state

Founded in the early 11th century

What you will get in your order is a silver denarius from before this period of decline

born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti

The tooth you receive will be between 6

Louis XIV had a rather strong idea about what he had to represent politically : his most famous quote is arguably “L’Etat

Rings of this type were often worn not only as personal adornment but also as amulets imbued with symbolic meaning—flowers commonly representing renewal or the divine feminine in Roman iconography

These coins stand out immediately due to their unusual square shape—an aesthetic choice that set them apart from the more common round coins of both Islamic and Christian mints

Two incised bands on either side of the bezel further emphasize the centrality of the motif and contribute to the ring’s structured and intentional composition

using recycled shell casings to produce the coins

minted under Mithradates VI Eupator (120–63 BCE)

shown in graceful flight