Lakshmi

Some of these very early images of  Lakshmi from Gaya from around the Shunga period display a remarkable freedom of artistic expression/style, before iconographic conventions got formalized.

Another very early Lakshmi image from Gaya. May seem very different from the images of later times, but the sculptor has certainly managed to capture something primal & quintessential about of the goddess of prosperity showering abundance blessing from her lotus. 

An early lakShmI from kausambhi 

The above image is quite damaged but from the similar long stalks of the lotuses in this one, we can deduce that Lakshmi was holding 2 lotuses with elephants on them.

Another early lakShmI from Eran 

 the remarkable rectangular coins of anurAdhapuram

1 of the most unsual shu~Nga era images from Kausambhi with early depiction of lakShmI on right in aquatic setting 

Compare with earliest depictions of Sri-Lakshmi on coins from Saurashtra Janapada, dated to pre Mauryan era (6-5th centuries  BCE). Perhaps one of the earliest depiction of any Hindu deity. 

It is interesting that after the post-Vedic age, Lakshmi emerges as one of the first deities whose iconic depiction we've discovered so far.

Any further observations cited in the book abt the coin & the implements she is holding in the 4 hands ?

In the 1st image, the 2 elephants & the lilies. In the 2nd image she is shown standing on a lotus. Both images give a strong sense of a watery connection, which would go on to become the motifs for Padma, Gaja Lakshmi etc