While I wait for my wins from Frank Robinson's latest auction, thought I'd share a recent pickup from John Anthony: Kushan Empire. AE drachm or unit (19mm, 4.0g). Kanishka I (c.127-147 AD). Obverse: King standing, left hand holding staff, right hand sacrificing over altar, legend in "Scythic-Greek" ShAO KANIShKA. Reverse: Goddess Nanaia nimbate standing left, holding out staff with bent end, legend behind NANA. The Kushans were originally one of five groups that made up the Yuezhi confederation, a nomadic band that wandered along China's frontier. In the first century BC, the Kushans migrated into Bactria and established an empire there which soon grew to include a large part of northern India and adjacent regions of Central Asia. Here's a map from Wikipedia showing the extent of Kushan dominion: Relatively little historical information has survived, but they appear to have grown wealthy through their control of the Silk Road. In the third century AD the Kushan empire broke up into smaller kingdoms. The Kushans issued abundant bronze coinage and an extensive gold coinage, but (except for some scarce very early issues of the Yuezhi) seem to have skipped issuing silver, for some reason. The coins depict a wide variety of deities. Most common are syncretic Iranian-Bactrian deities, but there are also coins featuring other deities including Herakles, Siva, and even the Buddha, indicating a very diverse cultural mix. The earliest coins are written in good Greek, while later coins employ both Kharoshti and a rather transformed version of the Greek alphabet sometimes called "Scythic-Greek", as on this coin. Kanishka I reigned from about 127 to 147 AD, though the exact dates are uncertain. He is known to have been a patron of Buddhism (the rare Kushan coins depicting Buddha were issued during his reign) and sent Buddhist missionaries to China. Nanaia (also called Nana) is one of the common Iranian-Bactrian syncretic deities. She is often associated with war, but also may be a Mother or Earth goddess. On coins she is usually shown holding a staff with a distinctive Y-shaped end, with one lobe of the Y bent. This coin was in the bargain section of a recent John Anthony auction and cost me just $15 plus postage, which is a pretty good deal. Note that the most commonly seen Kushan bronze coins are roughly 16 grams and are usually called tetradrachms or four units, while this coin is the somewhat less common 4 gram drachm or unit size. (An 8-gram intermediate also exists.) Post your related coins.
Can anyone explain the difference between Nana and Nanaia besides the two letters? Kaniska used both on coins.
Well, I certainly can't, but this guy says that some other guy named Rosenfeld thinks the longer form was primarily used in the west. Sorry if that falls a little short of what you hoped for! Since you mentioned silver, this coin might be an early proto-Kushan issue of the Yuezhi, i.e. before the Kushan subdivision gained dominance and moved south. (It could also be Saka, though.) Probably from the Samarkand region, though Mitchener puts these in Choresmia. And here's my Vima Takto and Vima Kadphises. No Kanishka yet!
Reasonable answer. Thanks! I was expecting something more on the line as one was genitive case so your answer is not at all 'short'.
