Medieval Maharashtra,Abhiras of Bhambhagiri, Lakhsmideva, Gold Punch Marked Hoan, 3.58g, Five punches: 2 x Kannada letter ‘Shri’, 1 x “Sankha-Chakra emblem”, 1 x Devnagari legend ‘Shri Laksmhi’ 1 x Male deity, perhaps Krishna (in centre) on obv. Extremely fine, exceedingly rare. The Abhira king of Bhambhagiri (present-day Bhamer in Khandesh) is mentioned in inscriptions of king Ramachandra of the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri, as one of the rulers who his father king Singhana had defeated. The Abhiras were a pastoral people, much like the Yadavas, proud of their association with cattle. The name ‘Lakshmi’ on this coin, combined with the stamp of a ‘cow-herd’-like Hero-god in the centre both indicate that this is most likely an issue of Lakshmideva. The Vaishnava symbolism, and the weight standard also supports this attribution.