Bactrian Drachm

Kings of Bactria. Apollodotos I.
Struck- 174-165 BC
AR Drachm
2.4 g
Obv. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΠΟΛΛΟΔΟΤΟΥΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ,Elephant standing r., MT monogram below Rev."Maharajasa Apaladatasa tradarasa" in Karosthi, Zebu standing r. SNG ANS 328-336.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Very nice! Superb detail.

 

Wow, that's a great example of the type!

 

Thanks.

 

Very nice! And interesting detail on the elephant - what is going around its waist? (Do elephants have waists, or simply mid-section?). I hadn't noticed that detail before. I've got a nice elephant with a bell around its neck:

 

Love that op! Very nice detail and elephant... Is the midsection strap representative of flowers similar as they have in SE Asia? Just random thoughts and observation.

@FitzNigel that is an interesting obv... Cool that the elephant head has a bell. Like Christopher Walken's "more cowbell !"

 

Thats a great coin. Nice addition.

 

I just scored one myself!

 

@FitzNigel Perhaps armor?

 

Can you translate the coin? Is this a two language coin?

 

King Apollodotus, Savior.

 

Nice Jumbo's

 

Very Nice Apollodotus I Drachm !
Here one of the later Apollodotus II:

 

Dynamite example!

 

@Ancientnoob
Thanks

 

very interesting looking. some day I will collect some ancient coins.

 

I regret that I only have ONE Baktrian at this point...


BAKTRIA, Greco-Baktrian Kingdom
Eukratides I Megas, Ca. 170-145 BCE
Æ Hemiobol Quadruple Unit (22 mm, 7.66 g, 12h)
Obv: Diademed and draped bust right
Rev: The Dioskouroi, holding palm fronds and spears, on horses rearing right
Ref: Bopearachchi type 19; SNG ANS 551

 

Maybe armor, but is it worth putting armor on an elephant? I wonder if it's ceremonial (the convenient fallback for all archaeologists...), or maybe a string of bells (to go off the evidence found on my coin - like it's a cow-bell... Christopher Walkin jokes aside). It would almost make sense that the line may be the strap to hold a castle on top of it, if this were a war elephant, but if that's the case, why depict the strap and not the tower? This may be silly minutiae, but I find it interesting... A gorgeous coin either way!

 

That's a very sweet addition, Mr Wolf (congrats)

Ummm, am I allowed to sneak-in a Bactrian King coin from a few years earlier?

Demetrius I (Bactrian Kings), Trichalkon
200-185 BC
Elephant & Caduceus