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<p>[QUOTE="FitzNigel, post: 3215375, member: 74712"]A while ago I contacted [USER=42773]@John Anthony[/USER] about possibly buying some cheap Roman coins for a project for my students (much like what [USER=83956]@Gavin Richardson[/USER] has done in <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/the-roman-coin-class-project.324212/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/the-roman-coin-class-project.324212/">this</a> thread - thanks for doing all the leg work!). John kindly put together some Roman coins from his stock, complete with attributions which will save me a lot of time. He included some Greek coins which I won’t be able to use (I teach high school students, and just getting them to piece together a Latin inscription will be enough of a challenge), also with attribution, and then one unattributed Kushan coin:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]835928[/ATTACH]</p><p><font size="3">Kushan Empire</font></p><p><font size="3">Kanishka I, r. 127-150 A.D.</font></p><p><font size="3">AE Drachm, 17.42 mm x 4.3 grams</font></p><p><font size="3">Obv.: Crowned, diademed king standing facing, holding spear and sacrificing at altar at left, Bactrian legend around: þAO KA ... NηþKI (King Kanishka)</font></p><p><font size="3">Rev.: Solar deity Mithra standing left, holding sword hilt and holding out hand in blessing, radiate nimbus around head, Bactrian legend right: MIYPO, tamgha at left</font></p><p><br /></p><p>As you can tell from my caption, I figured out what the coin is, and I am incredibly pleased with it! This is primarily due to the depiction of Mithras on the reverse. Most of us are probably aware of the Roman cult to Mithras - this was primarily the result of the Romans imitating Persian practices. But Mithras is much older than the Romans, and even the Parthians or Sasanids.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]835941[/ATTACH]</p><p><font size="3">A Sassanian depiction of Mithras on the left, sanctifying the investiture of Ardashir II</font></p><p><br /></p><p>Mithras probably originated with early Indo-European speakers migrating through Iran to India. He is mentioned in the RigVeda as an associate of the sky god Varuna, and as such becomes incorporated into the Brahmanic religions of</p><p>India as a sun god, and a god of binding and contracts. He is likewise recognized in Zoroastrianism as a god of contracts, and is also associated with the sun (hence the nimbus around his head). The Kushan would mix together Indic, Persian, and Hellenic practices, but it seems their acceptance of Mithra comes from the Persian/Zoroastrian influence.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]835942[/ATTACH]</p><p><font size="3">A 2nd Century depiction of Maitreya from Gandhara (North-West India). It is tempting to think that the nimbus here is reminiscent of that given to Mithras, but it seems this symbol for holiness was used with many Bodhisattvas.</font></p><p><br /></p><p>It is also possible that Mithras become incorporated into Buddhism. The Bactrian Kings (Menander I in particular) would already change Buddhism into a religion by recognizing the Buddha as a god. This new form of Buddhism is called Mahāyāna Buddhism, which would become incredibly popular and spread along the Silk Road into China. Mahāyāna Buddhism also introduced “Saint-like” beings called Bodhisattvas, who had achieved enlightenment, but existed to aid others in achieving enlightenment. One of the earliest recorded Bodhisattvas was Maitreya. There is a theory that Maitreya derives from Mithras - primarily because of the linguistically relationship, but there are some general similarities between what the two represent. King Kanishka would oversee the shift of the Kushan empire from being Zoroastrian to becoming Buddhist. This is even reflected in his coins, with one of his reverses showing Maitreya sitting crossed-leg on a throne.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]835946[/ATTACH]</p><p><font size="3">NOT MY COIN. Image and description from <a href="http://www.coinindia.com/galleries-kanishka.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinindia.com/galleries-kanishka.html" rel="nofollow">Coinindia.com</a>.</font></p><p><b><font size="3">AE tetradrachm or unit, c. 128-150 CE</font></b></p><p><font size="3">Weight: 16.28 gm., Diam: 26 mm., Die axis: 12 o'clock</font></p><p><font size="3">Crowned, diademed king standing facing, holding spear and sacrificing at altar at left,</font></p><p><font size="3">Bactrian legend around: þAO KA ... NηþKI <i>(King Kanishka)</i> / </font></p><p><font size="3">Maitreya Buddha seated facing on a meditation platform, </font></p><p><font size="3">Bactrian legend around: MHTPAΓO BOYΔO (letters retrograde), no tamgha</font></p><p><font size="3">Göbl 793, Cribb die 22</font></p><p><br /></p><p>So, I got an unexpectedly awesome coin, with a god whose representations span the major civilizations in the world. Thank John!</p><p><br /></p><p>Feel free to post any Kushan or any other related Coins![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="FitzNigel, post: 3215375, member: 74712"]A while ago I contacted [USER=42773]@John Anthony[/USER] about possibly buying some cheap Roman coins for a project for my students (much like what [USER=83956]@Gavin Richardson[/USER] has done in [URL='https://www.cointalk.com/threads/the-roman-coin-class-project.324212/']this[/URL] thread - thanks for doing all the leg work!). John kindly put together some Roman coins from his stock, complete with attributions which will save me a lot of time. He included some Greek coins which I won’t be able to use (I teach high school students, and just getting them to piece together a Latin inscription will be enough of a challenge), also with attribution, and then one unattributed Kushan coin: [ATTACH=full]835928[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]Kushan Empire Kanishka I, r. 127-150 A.D. AE Drachm, 17.42 mm x 4.3 grams Obv.: Crowned, diademed king standing facing, holding spear and sacrificing at altar at left, Bactrian legend around: þAO KA ... NηþKI (King Kanishka) Rev.: Solar deity Mithra standing left, holding sword hilt and holding out hand in blessing, radiate nimbus around head, Bactrian legend right: MIYPO, tamgha at left[/SIZE] As you can tell from my caption, I figured out what the coin is, and I am incredibly pleased with it! This is primarily due to the depiction of Mithras on the reverse. Most of us are probably aware of the Roman cult to Mithras - this was primarily the result of the Romans imitating Persian practices. But Mithras is much older than the Romans, and even the Parthians or Sasanids. [ATTACH=full]835941[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]A Sassanian depiction of Mithras on the left, sanctifying the investiture of Ardashir II[/SIZE] Mithras probably originated with early Indo-European speakers migrating through Iran to India. He is mentioned in the RigVeda as an associate of the sky god Varuna, and as such becomes incorporated into the Brahmanic religions of India as a sun god, and a god of binding and contracts. He is likewise recognized in Zoroastrianism as a god of contracts, and is also associated with the sun (hence the nimbus around his head). The Kushan would mix together Indic, Persian, and Hellenic practices, but it seems their acceptance of Mithra comes from the Persian/Zoroastrian influence. [ATTACH=full]835942[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]A 2nd Century depiction of Maitreya from Gandhara (North-West India). It is tempting to think that the nimbus here is reminiscent of that given to Mithras, but it seems this symbol for holiness was used with many Bodhisattvas.[/SIZE] It is also possible that Mithras become incorporated into Buddhism. The Bactrian Kings (Menander I in particular) would already change Buddhism into a religion by recognizing the Buddha as a god. This new form of Buddhism is called Mahāyāna Buddhism, which would become incredibly popular and spread along the Silk Road into China. Mahāyāna Buddhism also introduced “Saint-like” beings called Bodhisattvas, who had achieved enlightenment, but existed to aid others in achieving enlightenment. One of the earliest recorded Bodhisattvas was Maitreya. There is a theory that Maitreya derives from Mithras - primarily because of the linguistically relationship, but there are some general similarities between what the two represent. King Kanishka would oversee the shift of the Kushan empire from being Zoroastrian to becoming Buddhist. This is even reflected in his coins, with one of his reverses showing Maitreya sitting crossed-leg on a throne. [ATTACH=full]835946[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]NOT MY COIN. Image and description from [URL='http://www.coinindia.com/galleries-kanishka.html']Coinindia.com[/URL].[/SIZE] [B][SIZE=3]AE tetradrachm or unit, c. 128-150 CE[/SIZE][/B] [SIZE=3]Weight: 16.28 gm., Diam: 26 mm., Die axis: 12 o'clock Crowned, diademed king standing facing, holding spear and sacrificing at altar at left, Bactrian legend around: þAO KA ... NηþKI [I](King Kanishka)[/I] / Maitreya Buddha seated facing on a meditation platform, Bactrian legend around: MHTPAΓO BOYΔO (letters retrograde), no tamgha Göbl 793, Cribb die 22[/SIZE] So, I got an unexpectedly awesome coin, with a god whose representations span the major civilizations in the world. Thank John! Feel free to post any Kushan or any other related Coins![/QUOTE]
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