Indo Greek

Baktrian Kingdom. Eukratides I. Ca. 171-145 B.C. AR tetradrachm.
Diameter 31.5 mm, weight 16.83 gr. 

 

Obverse: coins of Eucratides probably represent his parents, where his father is named Heliocles, and his mother, Laodice.                                                                                  

Reverse: Eukratides 1 left seen wearing a royal diadem bust left, seen from behind, brandishing spear / Jugate.

The impressive quantity and quality of Eucratides’ surviving coinage permits glimpses of the image he wished to present. On a commemorative series showing his parents, Heliocles and Laodice, his mother is portrayed with a diadem, betokening royal birth, to assert that her son is of royal blood and not a usurper. One series of coins shows Eucratides with a diadem and the inscription “Of King Eucratides.” On two other series he is called Megas (“the Great”) and appears in battle gear, wearing a Boeotian cavalry helmet and thrusting with a spear. The Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux), mounted with spears, appear on the reverse of these three series, perhaps in homage to the role of Bactrian cavalry in his military success. For his Indian conquests there is a bilingual series of square bronze coins in Greek and Prakrit, with the city goddess of Kapisa on the reverse. Eucratides’ mint struck the largest surviving coin from the ancient world, a triumph of numismatic art weighing 20 Greek staters (almost 6 ounces). Two series of coins survive with Apollo on the reverse, bearing the legends “King Eucratides” and “King Eucratides the Saviour.” W.W. Tarn and others use these coins as evidence to distinguish Eucratides II (the Saviour), who is mentioned by no ancient historian, from Eucratides I (the Great).

 Pushkalavati Karashapana Bronze Coin (c 185-160 BC).

 

Obverse: right side Elephant.                                                                                         

Reverse: left side Lion.

Defination of Karashapana As the towns and cities of the Gangetic plain got established, coins were also introduced in trading activity. Silver punch-marked coins, copper punch-marked coins and cast copper coins were used as currency. These coins were called punch-marked, following the manufacturing technique, where the symbol was punched on the metal in a separate action.

Then there were coins that imitated the Greek, Roman and Iranian styles. Coins minted elsewhere such as the denarii of the Roman Empire, were also used in India. But the most commonly used coin was called the karshapana or pana.

Kautilya uses pana in his Arthashastra quite a lot.

Pushkalavati: Charsadda, once known as Push-kalavati, "The city of Lotus flower” remained the capital of ancient Gandhara from the 6th century B.C to 2nd century A.D. The city was captured in 324 B.C. after the siege of 30 days, by the troops of Alexander the Great and its formal surrender was received by Alexander himself. It has been established beyond doubt that this city was the metropolitan center of asiatic trade and meeting place of oriental and occidental cultures even as long ago as 500 to 1000 B.C. This city also enjoyed in being the center of pilgrims until the seventh century A.D.

Indo-Greek Menander 160-145 BC.AR Drachm weight 2.30 grams size 19.23 mm.
 

Obverse: Helmeted bust of king right.

Reverse: Pallas standing left, holding shield on raised right arm and hurling thunderbolt. There are two Greeks rulers who are known to us from other soruces than coins, Apollodotus and Menander.

Menander was born in the Caucasus, Menander I Soter "The Saviour" (known as Milinda in Indian sources) was one of the rulers of the Indo-Greek Kingdom from either 165 or 160 BC to 145 BC.
His territories covered the eastern dominions of the divided Greek empire of Bactria Province and extended to India (modern day Pakistani provinces of the NWFP, Punjab and parts of Himachal Pradesh and the Jammu region).


Anthimachus I Theos (known as Antimakha in Indian sources) was one of the Greco-Bactriankings, generally dated from around 185 BC to 170 BC.

 

 

Obverse: Bust of Antimachus I.
Reverse: Depiction of Poseidon, with Greek legend BASILEOS TEOU ANTIMACHOU "God-King Antimachus".

Antimachos I issued a numerous bronze coinage on the Attic standard, with his own image in a flat Macedonian kausia hat, and on the reverse Poseidon with his triton. Poseidon was the god of the ocean and great rivers - some scholars have here seen a reference to the provinces around the Indus river, where Antimachos I may have been a governor - but also the protector of horses, which was perhaps a more important function in the hinterland of Bactria.


Indo-Greek Kingdom Coins (205 – 171 BC). 

Obverse: Draped and wearing an elephant scalp, symbol of his conquests in India.

Reverse: Youthful, naked Heracles, crowning himself with right hand, with lion skin and upright club resting on his left arm. Greek legend: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ (BASILEOS DEMETRIOU) "Of King Demetrius"      
                                                                                                                                                                    The founder of the Indo-Greek Kingdom Demetrius I (205-171 BC) was wearing the scalp of an elephant, symbol of his conquest of India.

Demetrius I was a Buddhist Greco-Bactrian king (reigned circa 200–180 BC). He was the son of Euthydemus and succeeded him around 200 BC, after which he conquered extensive areas in what now is eastern Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan thus creating an Indo-Greek kingdom far from Hellenistic Greece. He was never defeated in battle and was posthumously qualified as the Invincible (Aniketos) on the pedigree coins of his successor Agathocles.

"Demetrius" was the name of at least two, probably three Greek kings of Bactria (known as Balkh Province in Afghanistan) and India.                           

The much debated Demetrius II was a possible relative, whereas Demetrio’s III (c. 100 BC), is known only from numismatic evidence.