Now that's not something you see every day

[Sulla80]

Here's a coin that you don't stumble on in every auction....I don't think Sulla ever made it as far east as Punjab or Nepal, but this coin is from my favorite time period.  In hand this coin resembles a bactrian drachm.

Kuninda, Maharaja Amoghabuti, ca. 150-80 BC, AR drachm (2.11g), HGC 12-850, AICR-1144

Obv: stag standing right, vase symbol above rump, pair of cobra symbols above antlers, three-arched hill symbol between legs, Lakshmi standing facing to right, holding flower

Rev: six-arched hill, triratana above, swastika above indradhvaja to left, railed tree to right, wave below

For more on this coin see:

For more on this coin see: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/coins-from-ancient-india

Post your coins of Kuninda and Bactria, OR coins that are "not something you see every day" OR anything else you find interesting or entertaining.

Edited March 16, 2023 by Restitutor
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[Edessa]

These obols of Samarkand appeared on the market in great quantities a bit over 10 years ago. The use of iconography from Seleukid types is interesting.

Central Asia, Sogdiana. Samarkand (Pre-Ikhshid), Anonymous Local Issues. Circa 1st century AD. AR Obol (10mm, 0.45g, 11h). Scythian shape; convex obverse surface and concave reverse surface. Antiochus imitations; Archer Series. Obv: Schematic bearded male head left. Rev: Schematic soldier standing facing, hand on hip and holding bow, degraded legend around. Ref: cf. HGC 12, 512 (Hemiobol); Cf. Senior A8.7i (for type); cf. Zeno 51442 (same); Zeno link: http://charm.ru/coins/misc/sogd-silver.shtml. Very Fine, toned. Hoover mentions that the reverse archer iconographic model appears to be the Seleukid Apollo. Hoover dates these in the 1st century AD, while Zeno indicates 4th-5th centuries AD.

[Sulla80]

11 hours ago, Edessa said:

These obols of Samarkand appeared on the market in great quantities a bit over 10 years ago. The use of iconography from Seleukid types is interesting.

Central Asia, Sogdiana. Samarkand (Pre-Ikhshid), Anonymous Local Issues. Circa 1st century AD. AR Obol (10mm, 0.45g, 11h). Scythian shape; convex obverse surface and concave reverse surface. Antiochus imitations; Archer Series. Obv: Schematic bearded male head left. Rev: Schematic soldier standing facing, hand on hip and holding bow, degraded legend around. Ref: cf. HGC 12, 512 (Hemiobol); Cf. Senior A8.7i (for type); cf. Zeno 51442 (same); Zeno link: http://charm.ru/coins/misc/sogd-silver.shtml. Very Fine, toned. Hoover mentions that the reverse archer iconographic model appears to be the Seleukid Apollo. Hoover dates these in the 1st century AD, while Zeno indicates 4th-5th centuries AD.

Nice @Edessa - just the type of coin that I was hoping this thread might surface! Here's a coin of the Turco-Hepthalite lords of Bukhara

Central Asia. Sogdiana, Bukhara, Turco-Hephthalite lords of Bukhara in the name of the Abbasid caliph al-Mahdhi. Billon drachm (775-785).
Obv: Bust in Sassanian-style right.
Rev: Fire altar with ribbons and attendants, crowned bust left in flames.
 

 

[Edessa]

Here is another with a nice coppery appearance.

[DLTcoins]

On 3/14/2023 at 7:33 AM, Edessa said:

These obols of Samarkand appeared on the market in great quantities a bit over 10 years ago. The use of iconography from Seleukid types is interesting.

Central Asia, Sogdiana. Samarkand (Pre-Ikhshid), Anonymous Local Issues. Circa 1st century AD. AR Obol (10mm, 0.45g, 11h). Scythian shape; convex obverse surface and concave reverse surface. Antiochus imitations; Archer Series. Obv: Schematic bearded male head left. Rev: Schematic soldier standing facing, hand on hip and holding bow, degraded legend around. Ref: cf. HGC 12, 512 (Hemiobol); Cf. Senior A8.7i (for type); cf. Zeno 51442 (same); Zeno link: http://charm.ru/coins/misc/sogd-silver.shtml. Very Fine, toned. Hoover mentions that the reverse archer iconographic model appears to be the Seleukid Apollo. Hoover dates these in the 1st century AD, while Zeno indicates 4th-5th centuries AD.

The plate snippet below demonstrates the evolution and relative chronology of the Samarkand "archers". It is from Table 30 in Zeimal, E.V. (1983), Drevnie monety Tajikistana ("Ancient Coins of Tajikistan"), Dushanbe. The key to dating is the inscription read as "Kydr" on class III, which is taken as the famous 'Kidara', circa AD 350. The earliest Antiochus imitations surely date much closer to the prototype. Although Samarkand itself is in Uzbekistan, it is close enough to the modern border that coins of this type are sometimes found today in one corner of Tajikistan, thus included in Zeimal's book. The author divides the archer coins into four broad chronological classes:

I. Coins with Greek legends. (02-05)

II. Coins with Sogdian legends. (06-010)

III. Coins in the name of Kidara, c. 350. (011)

IV. Coins which are anepigraphic or nearly so. (012)

The archer series was supplanted by Sasanian coins in the 5th century. Most coins in the marketplace today are late class II or class IV with earlier examples and Kidara types showing up infrequently.

Edited March 15, 2023 by DLTcoins

[Edessa]

10 hours ago, DLTcoins said:

The plate snippet below demonstrates the evolution and relative chronology of the Samarkand "archers". It is from Table 30 in Zeimal, E.V. (1983), Drevnie monety Tajikistana ("Ancient Coins of Tajikistan"), Dushanbe. The key to dating is the inscription read as "Kidara" on class III, which is taken as the famous 'Kidara', circa AD 350. The earliest Antiochus imitations surely date much closer to the prototype. Although Samarkand itself is in Uzbekistan, it is close enough to the modern border that coins of this type are sometimes found today in one corner of Tajikistan, thus included in Zeimal's book. The author divides the archer coins into four broad chronological classes:

I. Coins with Greek legends. (02-05)

II. Coins with Sogdian legends. (06-010)

III. Coins in the name of Kidara, c. 350. (011)

IV. Coins which are anepigraphic or nearly so. (012)

The archer series was supplanted by Sasanian coins in the 5th century. Most coins in the marketplace today are late class II or class IV with earlier examples and Kidara types showing up infrequently.

Fantastic - thanks Dave!

[Spaniard]

Lovely interesting coins in this thread!....Here's one you don't see that often..

Rajuvula was an Indo-Scythian Satrap (governor) who ruled the area of Mathura in and around the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh from around 10-25 CE. He supposedly invaded Eastern Punjab replacing the last two Indo-Greek kings Strato I and his son Strato II, with his coins copying the Greek design.

Indo-Scythian Satrap (Governor) Rajuvula 10-25 CE Billon Drachm
Obverse..Bust of king right, crude Greek legend around BASILEPS SPYROS (the affluent or rich)?
Reverse..Athena Alkidemos standing left, holding horizontal shield on outstretched left arm, hurling thunderbolt with right hand, monograms at left and right, Kharoshthi legend around: chatrapasa apratihatachakrasa rajuvulasa "the Satrap Rajuvula whose discus (cakra) is irresistible".
Reference: MIG 903a,