Rashtrakutas, North / Central Karnataka region, Anonymous and Uninscribed Gold Gadyana, 4.09g, Obv: horse-rider holding a sword and marching to right, Rev: The Goddess Gajalakshmi, seated frontal on a lotus and lustrated by an elephant on either side (Unpublished in major sources). Exceedingly rare. Although the coin is uninscribed, its Rashtrakuta attribution is beyond doubt from its type features. The Rashtrakutas prided themselves in their cavalry which gave them a distinct edge over their rivals, the Pratiharas and the Palas. Access to good quality Arabian horses, through a flourishing trade with the Islamic World, contributed to a rapid rise in Rashtrakuta influence during the reigns of Dhruva, Sharva, Krishna II and Govinda III. The horse-rider therefore becomes a major feature on Rashtrakuta Gold and Silver coins.