Obverse: Heroic Bust of the King Wearing a
Military Helmet
Reverse: The Dioskouroi on Rearing Horses
This coin represents King Eukratides I of Bactria,
a land in central Asia (Afghanistan) that was
conquered by Alexander. The adoption of the
title 'Great King', implying imperial rather than
merely royal status, followed some years after
Eukratides' consolidation of control over Bactria.
He established himself as king of "the thousand
cities of Bactria" and set out to enlarge his
kingdom in all directions. While returning from
one of his campaigns, he was killed by one of his
sons, who seized the throne. Bactrian coins were
made to the Greek Standard, and this is one of
the most beautiful coins of the late Hellenistic
period. Known for their strongly realistic
portraits, this tetradrachm of Eukratides is no
exception. He is depicted as a formidable
warrior, wearing a cuirass and a bronze helmet
over his diadem. . The helmet has the bull's ear
and horn that appeared on the leopard-skin
helmet of Seleukos I and that may have been
meant to allude to descent from the Seleucids.
His features are individualized, his expression
stern. On the reverse, the Dioskouroi, Greek
heroes noted for their horsemanship and
prowess in battle, are shown charging with
spears raised.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have
the coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who touched the coin before us, or where the
coin will venture to after us. More than money,
coins are a symbol of the state that struck them,
of a specific time and place, whether
contemporary currencies or artifacts of long
forgotten empires. This stunning hand-struck
coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and
intricate sculptural detail that is often lacking in
contemporary machine-made currencies. This
coin is a memorial to an ancient king and his
kingdom passed from the hands of civilization to
civilization, from generation to generation that
still appears as vibrant today as the day it was
struck.
- (C.2296)
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