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An Indian snack: Drachm of the Western Satraps (Kshatrapas)
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<p>[QUOTE="Parthicus, post: 7344074, member: 81887"]I'm still far behind in posting my coins, and depending on some upcoming auctions may be even farther behind soon, but meanwhile here's a quick write-up:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1281369[/ATTACH]</p><p>Western Satraps (Kshatrapas). AR drachm (2.0 g, 16 mm). Vijayasena (238-250 AD, Saka era 160-172). Obverse: Bust of king right with tight-fitting headdress, Sara-Era date behind head 1xx, blundered pseudo-Greek inscription around. Reverse: Three-arched hill with crescent above, crescent and moon to sides, Brahmi inscription around giving names of king and his father. MACW 2701-2714. This coin: Ex [USER=42773]@John Anthony[/USER] auction, August 2020.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Western Satraps (also known as the Kshatrapas, also also known as the Sakas) were an important dynasty in Northern India for several centuries, both politically and numismatically. They gained independence from the Into-Parthians in 78 AD (which is thus the starting year of the Saka era) and were ultimately conquered by the Guptas shortly before 400 AD. At their greatest extent they ruled territory in what are now Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh states in west-central India. The following map shows their realm around 350 AD:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1281391[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>(image courtesy Wikipedia)</p><p><br /></p><p>The kings of the Western Satraps continued to use the term "satrap" for themselves, which implies they considered themselves subservient to some other, more powerful ruler, presumably the Kushans. However, the Kshatrapas seem to have acted independently, and their allegiance was probably no more than nominal. There is evidence of trade with the Roman Empire along the Indian Ocean coastal region. The Kshatrapa kings seem to have supported Buddhism. The expanding Sasanian empire reduced Kshatrapa territory in the west, and by 400 the Gupta empire had swallowed up the remaining Western Satrap territories. Vijayasena was one of the four sons of Damasena to take the throne, he was briefly usurped in 242 but regained the throne about a year and a half later, he was succeeded by his brother, and... that's all I can find on him. (If there was a Suetonius for the Western Satraps, his work has not survived.)</p><p><br /></p><p>The silver drachm coinage of the Western Satraps remained very stable for a long period, with highly stereotyped designs and inscriptions. (The earlier coins of king Nahapana are a bit different, but we're ignoring that for now.) The obverse type features the king's bust in a tight-fitting cap that (to me) looks a bit like a WWI doughboy's helmet, and the reverse features a three-humped hill with crescent and star. The obverse features blundered pseudo-Greek, but also (starting in S 102) the Saka-Era date behind the king's head. On my coin, I can make out the bottom of the initial 1 in the date, but the other two digits are beyond my skill. (Vijayasena's dates are Saka 160 to 172 ). The reverse inscription is in Brahmi script and names both the king and his father. I tried to read the reverse legend on my specimen, but eventually my brain had too much trouble with the unfamiliar Brahmi script. It seems to match photos online for Vijayasena, but if anyone here feels confident in their reading of Brahmi I'd appreciate hearing their input. The coinage of the Kshatrapas was imitated by several other kingdoms, most notably the Guptas whose silver coinage copies the Kshatrapa obverse, with the reverse design changed to a peacock. Drachms of the Western Satraps are fairly common, tend to look decent even with significant wear, and frequently have readable dates, which makes them very collectible. Please post your coins of the Western Satraps.</p><p><br /></p><p>Sources:</p><p>Mitchiner, Michael. Oriental Coins and Their Values, Volume 1: The Ancient and Classical World 600 B.C.- A.D. 650. B. A. Seaby Ltd., 1978. ISBN 0 904173 16 X.</p><p>Wikipedia page: Western Satraps <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Satraps" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Satraps" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Satraps</a> Retrieved March 31, 2021. (Yes, I know, Wikipedia, reliability, yada yada. But this page is actually thorough and well-researched. Wikipedia may not be a proper scholarly source, but as a quick reference it is often pretty good.)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Parthicus, post: 7344074, member: 81887"]I'm still far behind in posting my coins, and depending on some upcoming auctions may be even farther behind soon, but meanwhile here's a quick write-up: [ATTACH=full]1281369[/ATTACH] Western Satraps (Kshatrapas). AR drachm (2.0 g, 16 mm). Vijayasena (238-250 AD, Saka era 160-172). Obverse: Bust of king right with tight-fitting headdress, Sara-Era date behind head 1xx, blundered pseudo-Greek inscription around. Reverse: Three-arched hill with crescent above, crescent and moon to sides, Brahmi inscription around giving names of king and his father. MACW 2701-2714. This coin: Ex [USER=42773]@John Anthony[/USER] auction, August 2020. The Western Satraps (also known as the Kshatrapas, also also known as the Sakas) were an important dynasty in Northern India for several centuries, both politically and numismatically. They gained independence from the Into-Parthians in 78 AD (which is thus the starting year of the Saka era) and were ultimately conquered by the Guptas shortly before 400 AD. At their greatest extent they ruled territory in what are now Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh states in west-central India. The following map shows their realm around 350 AD: [ATTACH=full]1281391[/ATTACH] (image courtesy Wikipedia) The kings of the Western Satraps continued to use the term "satrap" for themselves, which implies they considered themselves subservient to some other, more powerful ruler, presumably the Kushans. However, the Kshatrapas seem to have acted independently, and their allegiance was probably no more than nominal. There is evidence of trade with the Roman Empire along the Indian Ocean coastal region. The Kshatrapa kings seem to have supported Buddhism. The expanding Sasanian empire reduced Kshatrapa territory in the west, and by 400 the Gupta empire had swallowed up the remaining Western Satrap territories. Vijayasena was one of the four sons of Damasena to take the throne, he was briefly usurped in 242 but regained the throne about a year and a half later, he was succeeded by his brother, and... that's all I can find on him. (If there was a Suetonius for the Western Satraps, his work has not survived.) The silver drachm coinage of the Western Satraps remained very stable for a long period, with highly stereotyped designs and inscriptions. (The earlier coins of king Nahapana are a bit different, but we're ignoring that for now.) The obverse type features the king's bust in a tight-fitting cap that (to me) looks a bit like a WWI doughboy's helmet, and the reverse features a three-humped hill with crescent and star. The obverse features blundered pseudo-Greek, but also (starting in S 102) the Saka-Era date behind the king's head. On my coin, I can make out the bottom of the initial 1 in the date, but the other two digits are beyond my skill. (Vijayasena's dates are Saka 160 to 172 ). The reverse inscription is in Brahmi script and names both the king and his father. I tried to read the reverse legend on my specimen, but eventually my brain had too much trouble with the unfamiliar Brahmi script. It seems to match photos online for Vijayasena, but if anyone here feels confident in their reading of Brahmi I'd appreciate hearing their input. The coinage of the Kshatrapas was imitated by several other kingdoms, most notably the Guptas whose silver coinage copies the Kshatrapa obverse, with the reverse design changed to a peacock. Drachms of the Western Satraps are fairly common, tend to look decent even with significant wear, and frequently have readable dates, which makes them very collectible. Please post your coins of the Western Satraps. Sources: Mitchiner, Michael. Oriental Coins and Their Values, Volume 1: The Ancient and Classical World 600 B.C.- A.D. 650. B. A. Seaby Ltd., 1978. ISBN 0 904173 16 X. Wikipedia page: Western Satraps [URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Satraps[/URL] Retrieved March 31, 2021. (Yes, I know, Wikipedia, reliability, yada yada. But this page is actually thorough and well-researched. Wikipedia may not be a proper scholarly source, but as a quick reference it is often pretty good.)[/QUOTE]
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An Indian snack: Drachm of the Western Satraps (Kshatrapas)
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