Artwork Page for Indo-Greek Coin

Details / Information for Indo-Greek Coin

Indo-Greek Coin

c. 200–1 BCE

Afghanistan, Bactria

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Medium
silver
Measurements
Diameter: 3.2 x 0.5 cm (1 1/4 x 3/16 in.)
Weight: 16.4 g (0.58 oz.)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Norman Zaworski 2011.210.a
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

After Alexander of Macedon succeeded in conquering Egypt and Persia in 331 BC, his ambition to rule the known world led him further east across Bactria in Afghanistan, through the Hindu Kush mountain pass, and into India. There he succeeded in defeating all the local kings of the region until his men, on the brink of mutiny, insisted that they return to Greece. Alexander left governors in charge of his territories, and after his death in 323 BC, his governors became independent kings, establishing Hellenistic cities and a Greek cultural base in the region, which lasted for almost 200 years.

The posthumous portrait of Alexander on the front of this coin depicts him wearing the lion scalp. He identified with Hercules, the mortal who became a god as a result of his superhuman feats, including the defeat of the Nemean lion.
A circular, light gray silver coin depicts a man's profile head facing to our right. He wears a lion-skin headdress, its open jaws resting above his forehead and paws knotted at his neck. The lion's mane features pointed, textured tufts. Dark oxidation fills recessed areas of the relief. The figure has a prominent eye and slightly parted lips. The coin's edges are slightly irregular.

Indo-Greek Coin

c. 200–1 BCE

Afghanistan, Bactria

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