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HOME :
Greek Coins :
Bactrian Silver Coins : Bactrian Silver Tetradrachm of King Euthydemos I
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Bactrian Silver Tetradrachm of King Euthydemos I - C.2221b
Origin: Afghanistan
Circa: 230
BC
to 200
BC
Collection: Numismatics
Medium: Silver
$9,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Obverse: Head of Euthydemos Crowned with a
Diadem
Reverse: Nude Herakles Resting on a Rock
Holding a Club
Few details are known about the life of
Euthydemos I. He was possibly the Satrap of
Sogdiana, a historical region in Central Asia just
north of modern Afghanistan. Just as Diodotus I,
while serving as Satrap of Bactria, had earlier
rebelled against his Seleucid overlords and
declared independence for his kingdom,
Euthydemos I in turn overthrew the dynasty of
Diodotus and became king of Bactria around 230
B.C. It is not until 208 B.C., when Seleucid King
Antiochus III invades Bactria, that Euthydemos
again enters the historical record. Despite losses
in their early battles, the Bactrians were
successfully able to hold off the Seleucids during
a three year siege of the fortified city of Bactra.
The war ended with official recognition of
Euthydemos as the ruler of an independent
Bactria and a royal marriage between his son
Demetrius and one of Antiochus’ daughters
around 206 B.C. It is believed Euthydemos
eventually died around 200 B.C. and it is likely
that his last days saw the beginning of the
Bactrian invasion of India, a conquest that would
be completed by his son Demetrius who
succeeded him.
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 an ancient king and his
empire 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.2221b)
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