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Greek Coins :
Indo-Greek Coins : Indo-Greek Silver Drachm of King Apollodotos I
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Indo-Greek Silver Drachm of King Apollodotos I - C.2218
Origin: Northwestern India
Circa: 174
BC
to 165
BC
Collection: Numismatics
Medium: Silver
$1,800.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Obverse: An Elephant Standing to the Right,
Greek Legend Translated as "of Saviour King
Apollodotos"
Reverse: A Zebu Bull Standing to the Right,
Kharoshti Legend Translated as "Saviour King
Apollodotos"
King Apollodotos I was originally a general under
the rule of Demetrius until he ascended the
throne. Demetrius was the first Indo-Greek ruler
who successfully brought most of the
Afganistan, Punjab and Sindh under his control.
Thus, Apollodotos inherited this large unified
territory and, if his coins are any indication,
made a concerted effort to appeal to the
traditions of the local population. Perhaps the
most striking feature of this coin is its unusual
square shape. Before arrival of Indo-Greeks, the
local populations had been using
rectangular/square shaped punch-marked coins
for most transactions. The shape might have
also been influenced by economic concerns, for
such a coin was sure to be readily accepted by all
local merchants. However, this coin bears the
depiction of two animals, keeping with the
tradition of punch-marked coins. Clearly,
Apollodotos sought to continue the native
numismatic traditions of his inherited empire,
further enforced by the bilingual inscriptions.
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. On the
reverse of this bilingual coin, the legend in the
ancient Indian language Prakrit, written in
Kharoshthi script, reads Maharajasa tratasa
Apaladatasa and can be translated as “-of the
king, savior, Apollodotus.” 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.2218)
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