Obverse: Portrait of the King Wearing a Military Helmet
Reverse: The Dioskouroi on Rearing Horse
By the time Apollodotos II began his reign around 80 B.C., the Indo-Greek kingdoms were a shadow of their former glorious selves. Apollodotos was able to reverse this trend to some extent, reconquering the former capital of Taxila in western Punjab from Scythian rule and expanding eastward, taking back territory that had been lost to various native Indian kingdoms. Based on numismatic evidence, it is surmised that Apollodotos was a member of the dynasty founded by the great King Menander I. Historians speculate that Apollodotos II’s reign may have actually started in Taxila after the death of King Maues. Apollodotos may have been related to the Indo-Scythian king (as later Indo-Greek kings are believed to be of both mixed Indian and Scythian origin) and inherited the throne, or he may have defeated Maues himself or his descendants and reclaimed the city. It is also possible that Apollodotos II was allied with the Scythians. His reign is thought to have ended around 65 B.C., and the Indo-Greek kingdoms became fractured and began to decline once again.

How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have the coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of who touched the coin before us, or where the coin will venture to after us. More than money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time and place, whether contemporary currencies or artifacts of long forgotten empires. This stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail that is often lacking in contemporary machine-made currencies. This coin is a memorial an ancient emperor and his empire passed from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation that still appears as vibrant today as the day it was struck.