Bactrian Silver Drachm of King Antialcidas, 115 BCE - 95 CE
Silver
C.2224
Obverse: Bust of the King Wearing a Kausia, a Macedonian Helme Reverse: Zeus Enthroned upon an Elephant Holding Nik From his capital at Taxila, King Antialcidas ruled over northwestern India....
Obverse: Bust of the King Wearing a Kausia, a Macedonian Helme
Reverse: Zeus Enthroned upon an Elephant Holding Nik
From his capital at Taxila, King Antialcidas ruled over northwestern India. He is thought to have reigned from 115-95 B.C., although other scholars believe that he ruled earlier, from 130-120 B.C. It is thought he was part of the Eucratid Dynasty and may have been related to Bactrian King Heliocles I, although he ruled after the fall of the Bactrian Kingdom. Little else is known about Antialcidas, as there are few historical sources documenting the Indo-Greek kingdoms. What we do know about him derived primarily from his coinage and an inscription in Central India.
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 king and his kingdom passed from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation that still appears as vibrant today as the day it was struck.
Reverse: Zeus Enthroned upon an Elephant Holding Nik
From his capital at Taxila, King Antialcidas ruled over northwestern India. He is thought to have reigned from 115-95 B.C., although other scholars believe that he ruled earlier, from 130-120 B.C. It is thought he was part of the Eucratid Dynasty and may have been related to Bactrian King Heliocles I, although he ruled after the fall of the Bactrian Kingdom. Little else is known about Antialcidas, as there are few historical sources documenting the Indo-Greek kingdoms. What we do know about him derived primarily from his coinage and an inscription in Central India.
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 king and his kingdom passed from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation that still appears as vibrant today as the day it was struck.
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