Chalukyas of Badami (6-8 Century AD), Anonymous Issue, Gold Fanam, Obv: a caparisoned Varaha (Boar), the Chalukya insignia facing right, Rev: temple between lamp stands, 0.38g, 6.34mm, (Mitch. K&A # 269), choice extremely fine, Extremely Rare.

Pulakeshi I Chalukya, governor of Badami under the Banavasi Kadamba King Harivarman, (5th Century AD), established his sovereignty and founded the Badami Chalukya dynasty around 540 AD. He assumed the title Maharaja and performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice to assert his sovereign status. The Badami Chalukyas ruled for almost 2 centuries until 757 AD. During this time the Chalukya Kingdom had spread beyond the river narmada upto Malwa-Gujarat in the north, the Kalinga and South Kosala Kingdoms to the east and Kadamba Kingdoms located in the upper Tungabhadra basin to the south. Badami was the capital of Chalukya kings between 6th to 8th centuries CE.

The Badami Chalukyas had Boar (Varaha) as their symbol and designs such as the boar/temple, temple/sceptre, lamps/temple and boar/lamps, and issued a series of die struck coins bearing their dynastic devices. The temple design, seen on the coins, seems to be inspired from the temples at Aihole, the earlier capital of the Badami Chalukyas.