I hope to have a few more "substantial" coins to post soon, but meanwhile here are two more "snacks". Coin 1: Indo-Greeks. Hermaios, late reign or posthumous (c. 20 BCE- 20 CE). AE tetradrachm (9.65 g, 20 mm). Obverse: bust right, Greek legend around. Reverse: Zeus seated left, holding cornucopia, Kharosthi legend around, mint symbol of Demetrios in Arachosia. cf. MACW 2041-2. This coin: Pars Coins eSale 51, lot 12 (August 13, 2026). I picked up this coin as a heavily worn but still pleasant (and pleasantly cheap at $15 final bid) late Indo-Greek coin. In the auction catalogue, it was identified as a likely posthumous coin of Strato II, but I think that the coin is actually of Hermaios (either late reign or posthumous). While the legends (as far as I can read them) are not definitive- I can only make out the generic titles, not the actual royal name) on either side, the reverse type makes me more confident. All the coins of Strato II I can find online have standing Athena on the reverse (and the auction description states Athena on reverse), but this type is pretty clearly Zeus seated, which is the reverse type used for Hermaios. Remember to always double-check the seller's attributions! Coin 2: Panchalas in Ahichhatra. AE half karshapana. Indramitra (c. 75- 50 BCE). Obverse: Incuse square with three Panchala symbols (top line) and name of king Indramitra (bottom line). Reverse: God Indra standing on pedestal. MACW 4539-40. This coin: Purchased from Joel Anderson, August 2026. The kingdom of the Panchalas was located south of the Himalayas, to the southeast of Kuninda (the subject of my previous "snack" post) and had its capital at a city called Ahichhatra. The kingdom goes back quite early, having been absorbed by the early Mauryan empire, regaining independence on the collapse of the Mauryans, and eventually falling to the Guptas. This was another impulsive "snack" purchase for me, as there isn't a lot of historical information on the kingdom that I could find, but I do find something almost comical about the depiction of Indra on the reverse. The weird proportions with giant feet, the tall hat (?), and the comically huge club by his side- I intend no disrespect, but this depiction makes me smile. This coin was also cheap, at just $12. My point (if I have one) is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to find interesting coins to enjoy. Please post cheap coins that you enjoy, or whatever else is related.
