A coin from Yutian, a forgotten kingdom in China

Yutian Kingdom, Khotan. AE 6 zhu (3.35 g). In the name of Gurgamoya (c.30- 60 CE), posthumously struck c. 2nd- 3rd century CE. Obverse: Horse right, Kharosthi inscription (partly off flan) "maharaja yitiraja gutgusu" (of the Great King, the Yutian King, Gurgamoya). Reverse: inscription in archaic Chinese "liu zhu qian" (six zhu currency). Cribb 3. This coin: Stephen Album Auction 54, lot 3893 (January 22-25, 2026).

I have been able to find out very little about this coin, or the history behind it. The only reference for this series is two articles by Joe Cribb in the Numismatic Chronicle, published in 1984 and 1985, which I haven't been able to access yet. But just looking at the coin itself in the auction catalogue, I was struck by the fact that one side features an inscription in Kharosthi (an ancient script that was used for various languages of India and adjacent Asian regions) while the other features a very old form of Chinese characters. Interesting! From what little I can find, the Yutian Kingdom had its capital at Khotan, in what is now southwestern Xinjiang province of western China. This location, on the border between the Chinese and Indian cultural areas, would explain the dual scripts on the coin. But even with such limited information, this coin just spoke to me, so I had to buy it, and then share it. I will keep looking for more information about the history and culture behind this coin. Meanwhile, please share whatever you have that is related.

 

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Interesting and unusual coin!