A Dichalkon of Kushan King Kujula Kadphises, Mkay?

Anybody else have Zebus and Bactrian camels in their menagerie?

 

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Nice coin & camel. My only Kushan is this common Tet.


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”.

 

Nice example though, great eye appeal!

 

wow...a double hump camel..kool JA! i don't think i have one of those types, but i do have a few India(Indo-Greek)(right?!?) coins.. i have only one coin with a camel on it, but you know that one ...

 

NICE combo pack @John Anthony ! Looks great...

I have Zebu:

Baktria Apollodotos I 180-160 BCE Square AR Drachm 20mm 2.4g Elephant Zebu SNG ANS 324-327


And a CAMEL:

RI Trajan CE 98-117 AR drachm Struck CE 114-116 Arabia Petraea Bostra - Camel SNG ANS 1158

Cool! I think my gregarious camel has a double-hump, too, @ominus1

 

hehe...yup, he shore does

 

Awesome camel!!

My ex x6 zebu has Sesame Street on TV behind it. "Z is for Zebu."


Azes (58-20 BCE), AE unit

 

Thank you, John! great post. This is my only camel and although not Bactrian, it's my only Roman Republic coin.

 

Great coin, @Severus Alexander ! I was fortunate to have acquired one also. I think it was the Azes II connection that sold me.

 

I may just have purchased one of these today, I'll see when it arrives. I've got a herd of Zebu's, but I'm short on camels!

Here's a recently photographed Zebu.




Indo-Scythian AE unit, Azes, 1st century BC

O: King mounted on horse right, holding spear, Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ BAΣIΛEΩN MEΓAΛOY / AZOY R: Humped bull standing right, monograms above, Kharoshthi legend. 20 mm, 9.5 g.

 

No camels but here's an elephant and zebu!


Apollodotos I, Backtria, 174-165 BC
AR, drachm, 14mm, 1.4g
Obv.: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY SΩTHPOΣ; Elephant standing right, MI monogram below
Rev.: Maharajasa Apaladatasa tradarasa (Karosthi script); Zebu standing right, Karosthi legend around, MI monogram below

 

Is this the same and centered differently or a different coin? I believe they are the same and we only need a dozen other carefully selected coins to get the entire legend.

 

Zebu?

I didn't know it was a Zebu until now, but here's another example of the coin as shared by @Deacon Ray and @Severus Alexander with some monogram differences. Interesting to note that on this coin AZOY (Azes) is misspelled (AOZY).

Azes, 57-12 BC, Indo-Scythians, AE Tetradrachm, 13.5g, 26 mm
I have the picture backwards.
Rev: MAHARAJASA RAJARAJASA MAHATASA AYASA, in Karosthi, lion or leopard standing right. Monogram above.
Obv: BASLIEWS BASILEWN MEGALOU AZOU, zebu (humped bull) standing right, monogram Whitehead 33 above (resembling a B in a square)

Does anyone know if there is a definitive answer on whether or not there was one Azes or two? The RC Senior books (2001) only reference Azes.

 

Beautiful. I have many Roman Republic coins but nothing that looks like this. Most of them are with the god Roma in the obverse.

 

The jury is still out on that one. Unfortunately the Indo-Scythians were not famous for keeping written records.

You might have trouble finding a piece worthy of your box - they're not the most well-struck and well-preserved coins in the world.

 

Thanks - apparently even not that well known in early Imperial Rome:

"Azes sent envoys to Augustus in 26 BC proposing a political alliance. Suetonius records that these 'Indo-Scythians' (Sakas) were from nations previously known to us only through hearsay and they petitioned for an alliance (amicitia) with Augustus and the Roman people. In earlier times the Sakas had been able to field 20,000 mounted archers, but Azes probably commanded only a fraction of this fighting force. Orosius suggests that the Saka ambassadors expected a western war against Persia and came to praise the Emperor with the glory of Alexander the Great. To emphasize his connection to Hellenic culture, Azes issued currency displaying images of the goddess Athena and used Greek titles referring to himself as The Great King of Kings'. He sent further envoys to the Emperor in 22 BC who delivered a royal letter written in Greek pledging that Azes was 'ready to allow Augustus passage through his country'"

The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes
By Raoul McLaughlin​

Obv: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΟΝ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ AZOY. Armored scythian King on horseback right, holding elephant goad, karoshthi letter in field right.
Rev: Karoshthi legend (Maharajasa rajarajasa mahatasa ayasa). Athena standing right holding spear and shield. Monograms on field.
Azes Tetradrachm
9.7g, 23mm

 

This is not a question with a definitive answer.
http://coinindia.com/galleries-azes1.html

Mine is also an Azes II type if there are two but shows Poseidon.

 

I can't resist adding one more zebu to the thread:

Obv: Demeter or City Goddess standing left, holding cornucopia, Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANIKHTOY ΦIΛOΧENOY (King Philoxenus Anicetus)

Reverse Humped bull standing right, monogram below, Kharoshthi legend around: Maharajasa apadihatasa Philasinasa (Invincible King Philoxenus)

Date: c. 100-95 BCE

Weight: 7.7g

Dimensions 19x19 mm