I know these are fairly common but for some reason I liked this one and it was priced right. Kushans, Vima Taktu ("Soter Megas”) (80 - 100 A.D.) Æ Tetradrachm O: No legend. Diademed, radiate bust right, holding scepter; behind, tamgha; 12 rays above head. R: BACIΛEV BACIΛEVWNCWTHP MEΓAC ("King of Kings, the Great Savior"). Horseman right, holding whip; before, tamgha. 20mm 9.09g MACW 2935 ("Taxila series"). The actual name of the Kushan king called by the epithet "Soter Megas"("Great Savior") on his coins was unknown until the 1993 discovery of an inscription at Rabatak in Afghanistan, written by the Kushan king Kanishka. The Rabatak inscription lists the lineage of Kushan kings who had ruled up to that time: his great-grandfather Kujula Kadphises; his grandfather, Vima Taktu, his father, Vima Kadphises; and himself, Kanishka. Mention is seemingly also made of Vima Taktu in the Chinese chronicle Hou Hanshu, in relation to his father, Kujula Kadphises: “Qiujiuque [Kujula Kadphises] was more than eighty years old when he died. His son, Yangaozhen [apparently Vima Taktu] became king in his place. He defeated Tianzhu [northwestern India] and installed generals to supervise and lead it. The Yuezhi then became extremely rich. All the kingdoms call [their king] the Guishuang[Kushan] king, but the Han call them by their original name, Da Yuezhi”. Sequential (annual?) issues have been defined in the literature by counting the number of rays around the king's head, more rays being earlier and fewer rays being later.
Very nice! I appreciate the write-up as I know nothing of these coins, but I've almost pulled the trigger on a few. So do the 12 rays mean regnal year 12? Or is that mostly conjecture?
nice mat, these are cool coin. i don't remember seeing one with 12 rays...and didn't know these were earlier coins. i don't think they have anything to do with actual years? both of mine are 6 ray coins, which seems to be pretty common...
I always found it interesting that the ray count went down with the date. What would they do at zero? Perhaps there is something about this system I don't understand. Traditional scholarship gives three different mints of which Taxila is most common. The others have 'squared' letters which are more distinct on some letters like omega while Taxila has rounded forms. I have to admit I prefer coins with CWTEP on flan so I can see that omega. I suggest not passing up any reasonably priced coin of this series that has the complete reverse legend. Few do.
Great coin, Mat (and fellas) ... very cool Kushan Horseman examples ... Ummm, I may not have a horse-example ... but does anybody wanna see a bull? => Mooooooooooooooo ... INDIA, Kushan: Vima Kadphises AE tetradrachm circa 112-127 AD Diameter: 28 mm Weight: 16.88 grams Obverse: King standing facing, sacrificing at altar left, tamgha and club in right field, Greek legend around: BACIΛEVC BACIΛEWN CWTHP MEΓAC OOhMO KAΔΦICHC Reverse: Oesho (Siva) standing facing, Bull Nandi behind, nandipada at left, Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa rajadirajasa sarvaloga isvarasa mahisvarasa vima kathphishasa tratara .... sorry, but it was my only Kushan example (*moo*)
Steve's type is my favorite Kushan and the largest. Again, finding them less worn and full legend is a task.
This would be one of those coins I know nothing about but appeal to me at some level nonetheless. Great pickup!
