Bactrian Coins Anyone

I did not find many posts here about Bactrian (or Baktrian) coins, so I thought I might start one. I have a very small collection of coins, but it is growing and this is one of my favorites. The elephant skin headdress grabbed me


AKTRIA, Greco-Baktrian Kingdom. Demetrios I Aniketos. Circa 200-185 BC. AR Tetradrachm (33mm, 17.00 g, 12h). Diademed and draped bust right, wearing elephant skin headdress / Herakles standing facing, crowning himself, holding club and lion skin; monogram to inner left. Bopearachchi 1F; cf. Bopearachchi & Rahman 124 (fourrée); SNG ANS 190. Near EF, minor spots of roughness on obverse. Struck on a broad flan. Ex: CNG 93 5/22/2013


The unusual elephant headdress worn by Demetrius recalls that of Alexander the Great on early tetradrachms of Ptolemaic Egypt, referring to his conquests in northern India. Demetrius campaigned in India while serving a long apprenticeship under his father, Euthydemus I, as recorded on a dedicatory stone recently discovered north of Ai Khanoum in Afghanistan. After succeeding to the throne, he launched an invasion of Northern India that extended Greek control into modern Pakistan. The historian Strabo claims "more tribes were subdued by [Demetrius] than Alexander." He apparently made Taxila in the Punjab his capital, and during his reign the Greco-Bactrian kingdom seems to have reached its greatest extent. The cause of his death is unknown. His son Euthydemos II seems to have reigned for a short time before his kingdom fragmented, with his ministers and/or relations Agathocles, Antimachus, and Panteleon claiming portions of it.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Hooo boy, that is one Bactrian coin I'd really like to own. You sure nabbed a beauty! Congratulations

 

Nice => that's a very sweet addition, my new coin-friend!!

Ummm, I don't have an AR example, but I hope that you'll accept my AE winner?!

Demetrius I Trichalkon with ELEPHANT
200-185 BC
Diameter: 29.5 mm
Weight: 12.61 grams
Bactrian Kings, Demetrius I, bronze Attic trichalkon of:
Obverse: Head of elephant with bell hanging from neck
Reverse: Caduceus.
Reference: Bopearachchi-16, Mitchiner-1086, SNG ANS 209

 

Love the headdress on the OP coin! The entire piece exhibits the highest artistic style.

 

Agreed--that's the same quality of examples I've seen in museums. Mine isn't quite as good, but I like it all the same:

Menander, AR Drachm, 160-145 BC, Taxila-Pushkalavati Mint (I need to take a new picture)

 

Nice coins everyone! I own no Bactrian coins, so have none to share

 

Euthydemos II - c.190-171 BC - Nickel didrachm
24mm diameter, 7g.
Apollo bust / tripod
monogram to left
" Of King Euthydemos"

Agathokles - c.171-160 BC - Nickel drachm
19mm diameter, 3.3g.
Dionysos bust / Panther touching vine
monogram behind
" Of King Agathokles"

My favorite Baktrians are my two nickels. There is a third one of Pantaleon that I lack but it is like the Agathokles. Nickel coins don't surive burial all that well so many look porous like mine. Little is known about these including their value in relation to coins of other metals. The photo is from my page on the subject but there is really nothing there worth reading.

 

Nickel? I didn't know (or read and forgot) that nickel was used for any ancient coins. Interesting!

 

Curious? ... do I get to play this cat?

=> India, Pushkalavati AE Square

 

The other Baktrians of note are the squares in silver and bronze. Both of mine have bilingual legends and elephants.

Apollodotos silver


Menander AE (My wife collects bells and likes this one as well as Steve's.)

 

Super posts!!

......and the OP is absolutely phenomenal !!!

I just have this modest offering of Meander:

 

Every time we have one of these threads, everybody seems to have an example of the type. "Show us your Eid Mar" and everyone seems to have one. Sadly i have no Bactrians. The OP coin is spectacular. Much amaze!

 

Very Interesting type.

 

None here. I like most of the coins posted, but that OP coin is phenomenal.

 

WOW! There are a lot of stunning Bactrian coins here, but that OP takes the cake! Here are some of my Bactrian coins in my collection:

Archebios Dikaios Nikephoros (75-65 BC) Æ Quadruple Unit (Bopearachchi 13C; SNG ANS 1315–6)

Obv: Diademed and draped bust of Zeus right, with scepter over shoulder
Rev: Palms and piloi of the Dioskouroi; monogram in exergue




Baktria: Apollodotos I Drachm (Bopearachchi-4F; SNG ANS 328-336)

Obv: Sacred elephant with decorative belt and Greek legend - ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΠΟΛΛΟΔΟΤΟΥ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ
Rev: Bull with Kharoshti legend - MAHARAJASA TRATARASA APALADATASA




Baktrian: Antialkidas (115-95 BCE) Hemiobol (Bopearachchi-17C; Hoover-263)

Obv: Bust of Zeus right, thunderbolt over left shoulder, Greek legend on three sides - BAΣIΛEΩΣ / NIKHΦOPOY / ANTIAΛKIΔOY
Rev: Caps and palms of the Dioscuri, monogram at left, Kharoshthi legend on three sides: maharajasa / jayadharasa / amtialikidasa




Baktrian: Philoxenos (125-110 BCE) AE (Bopearachchi-10F, SNG-ANS 1207)

Obv: City goddess standing left, holding cornucopiae in left hand, making gesture with outstreched right hand; monogram at left of feet; Greek legend around - BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANIKHTOY / ΦIΛOΞENOY
Rev: Humped Zebu bull standing right; Σ below; Kharosthi legend around - maharajasa apadihatasa / philasinasa




Baktrian: Lysias Aniketos (130-125 BC) Hemi-obol (BOP-8A; SNG-ANS 1041; MACW-1838)

Obv: Bust of Herakles right, with club over shoulder
Rev: Elephant right; monogram and Σ below

 

Some random less common Indo-Greeks:

Diodotus II:


Agathokles:


Dionysios:


Euthydemos I:


Theophilos:

 

I was waiting for your post THCoins

 

Looks like a bunch of subliminal Republican messages on election day to me.

nice coins and pictures, I need to improve my photo techniques

 

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but Bactria is the fertile region between the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya centered on Balkh (the ancient Bactra) in northern Afghanistan. While most coins of the Indo-Greeks (those shown in this thread with purely Greek legends) and some successors such as the Yueh-Zhi, are indeed "Bactrian", most of the Indo-Scythian coins (bilingual Greek and Kharosthi) were issued south of the Hindu Kush (thus the "Indo-") in Arachosia and Gandhara, an area beginning near the Afghanistan/ Pakistan border and extending into northern India. A lot of dealers like to blur the line because "Bactria" better entices Hellenocentric collectors than "Pakistan". In my opinion, cool coins all! Just one of those pet peeves...