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Numismatics :
Kushan Coins : Kushan Gold Dinar of Emperor Kanishka II
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Kushan Gold Dinar of Emperor Kanishka II - C.4084
Origin: India/Pakistan/Afghanistan
Circa: 225
AD
to 240
AD
Collection: Numismatics
Medium: Gold
$1,400.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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Obverse: Kanishka standing left, holding a
scepter,
sacrificing at altar, trident standard behind.
Reverse: Shiva standing facing,
holding trident and diadem, the bull Nandi
standing behind; tamgha above.
The ancient region of northeastern Afghanistan
and northwestern Pakistan was situated at a
confluence of trading paths along the Silk Route,
an area was flooded in cultural influences
ranging from Greece to China. After the
conquests of Alexander the Great, the creation
of Greco-Bactrian kingdoms, and the general
Hellenization of the subcontinent, Western
aesthetic tastes became prominent. Greek
influence began to permeate into the arts and
culture. Eventually, the Bactrian Kingdom was
absorbed by the nomadic Kushan tribes, who
settled in the region and went on to establish
their own dynasty. The area flourished under the
Kushans and their greatest emperor, Kanishka,
who is
traditionally given credit for further spreading
the philosophies of Buddhism throughout Central
Asia and into China. This period is viewed as one
of
the most important eras in the history of
Buddhism.
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. The
iconography of this coin, featuring the emperor
offering a sacrifice at an altar on the obverse and
a representation of Shiva on the reverse, is
related
to earlier examples first struck under Emperor
Vima,
who revolutionized Kushan currency by
introducing gold in addition to the standard
copper coinage. The pantheon of gods and
goddesses represented on the coins, including
Greek, Bactrian, Hindu, and Zoroastrian deities in
addition to the Buddha, are indicative of the
culturally diverse empire the Kushan ruled over.
This coin is a memorial to an ancient emperor 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.4084)
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