INDO GREEK COINAGE    

When the Greeks of Bactria came down to Arachosia and Kabul Valley in the 327 B.C. they introduced fine Greek coinage. Early Greek rulers had issued coins only in Greek language. On the obverse the portrait of the king and the reverse was the place for the deity. Such as the coins of Agathocles and Pantaleon, Diodotus, Euthydemus.

It is believed that the coins of Agathocles and Pantaleon were in Greek because they never came down to India, this is one of the other theories.

There are few Greeks rulers who are known to us from other soruces than coins e.g Apollodotus and Menander etc.

Menander is identified with Milinda, convert to Buiddhist religion. The extraordinary abundance of his coinage tells us that he had large empire.

Appollodotus coins can be categorized in two classes very easily. One class consist of his coinage with a portrait and the king bearing the title of 'philopator'. These coins were found only in Punjab and NW India. The second class is the one in which we see the bull and elephant figures. These are found in much wider area and are less in artistic value. Which shows that there were two Apollodote : one who remained in Punjab and the other one with bull and elephant came upto Sindh.

Bactrian & Indo/Indus Greek Online Coins Catalogue: Click Here

 

 

Hemidrachm, Heliokles, Zeus standing to front holds thunderbolt in right hand and a long scepter which rest on the ground in left hand.

 

Obverse: Attic, Drachm, Alexander, Heracles (Hercules) in lion's skin.
Reverse: Attic Drachm, Alexander, Zeus, enthroned to left, holding a scepter in left hand and an eagle on outstretched right hand.

 

Eukratides-I Coin: Dioscuri riding horses prancing right, carrying spears and palms.

 

   
 

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