Indo Greek Gold Coins

606er indo greek apollodotus ii 110 80 bc bilingual silver coinage ar drachm 2 08 grams minted in taxila chief workshop.

Indo greek gold coins. Significance of indo greek rule in india the indo greeks were the first to issue gold coins in india. Indo greek kingdom hippostratos c. Some of the earliest greek coinage struck in baktria is attributed to the mint of ai khanoum a lost city rediscovered only in 1961. Diodotus the satrap of bactria and probably the surrounding provinces founded the greco bactrian kingdom when he seceded from the seleucid empire around 250 bc and became king diodotus i of bactria.

He is created with real indo greek expansion in india and has also been referred in greek sources as king of indians. He was however ultimately defeated and became the last western indo greek king. Us 100 00 sphinx numismatics. Many of them are only known through their coins.

65 55 b c. Demetrius i of bactria was son of euthydemus and conquered the extensive areas in iran afghanistan and pakistan. There were over 30 indo greek kings often in competition on different territories. The indo greek kingdom or graeco indian kingdom and historically known as yavanarajya kingdom of yavanas was a hellenistic kingdom spanning modern day afghanistan into the classical circumscriptions of the punjab of the indian subcontinent northern pakistan and northwestern india during the last two centuries bc and was ruled by more than thirty kings often conflicting with one another.

His coins bear legends in greek and prakrit written in greek and kharoshthi script. The greek rulers introduced features of hellenistic art in the north west frontier of. The history of the indo greek kingdom covers a period from the 2nd century bce to the beginning of the 1st century ce in northern and northwestern india. βασιλεωσ διοδοτου of king diodotus.

The quantity and quality of hippostratos coinage indicates a quite powerful king. Mitchiner mig vol 3 type 424a vf and scarce. Each coin was made by following the attic weight standard method. Gold coin of diodotus c.

Gold staters and silver tetradrachms were issued in the name. The coins feature portraits of the ruler on the obverse and greek deities on the reverse side. Coins of the indo greeks were made of gold silver copper and nickel. Motifs on the reverse side also carried indian religious symbols.

During the early rise of roman trade with india up to 120 ships were setting sail every year from myos hormos to india gold coins used for this trade was apparently being recycled by the kushan empire for their own coinage.