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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Parthicus, post: 3133179, member: 81887&quot;]I won this coin some months ago as part of a group lot (see my earlier thread at <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-group-lot-from-cng-worth-it.305393/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-group-lot-from-cng-worth-it.305393/">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-group-lot-from-cng-worth-it.305393/</a> ) and finally got around to posting it individually:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]799528[/ATTACH] </p><p>Bactria.&nbsp; AR obol.&nbsp; Eukratides I (171-c.145 BC).&nbsp; Obverse: Helmeted bust right.&nbsp; Reverse: Caps of the Dioscuri and two palm branches, monogram below, Greek inscription Basilews Eukratidou (Of the King Eukratides) to either side.&nbsp; Sear Greek Coins 7578.&nbsp; This coin: Classical Numismatic Group, Auction 408, lot 811 (part of group lot).</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Bactria was a territory containing land in what is now Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.&nbsp; The area was conquered by Alexander the Great, and it devolved on his Seleucid successors before breaking away and calving its own line of secessionist Indo-Greek kingdoms.&nbsp; Eukratides I became king of Bactria in 171 BC by overthrowing his predecessor, Euthydemus I, although it is unclear if Eukratides was a disgruntled Bactrian army officer or if he was a relative of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV who headed to the Wild East to try and reclaim lost Seleucid territory.&nbsp; (The start date of Eukratides&#039; reign is set at 171 BC because of a historical mention by Justin that Eukratides of Bactria took power at the same time as Mithradates I of Parthia.&nbsp; If you&#039;ve read anything about the difficulties in our understanding of Parthian history, you realize how insane it sounds to use Parthian history as a fixed point for dating other events.)&nbsp; Eukratides would go on to have military success against his Indo-Greek neighbors, but he lost some of his western territory, including the city of Herat (in modern Afghanistan) to Mithradates I of Parthia.&nbsp; He is considered one of the most important Bactrian kings, and he issued a large amount of coinage.&nbsp; This beautiful little obol looks even better in hand than it does in my photo, and I am very happy to have it in my collection.&nbsp; Post your Bactrians, Indo-Greeks, or obols.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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