Obverse: Emperor Standing Left, Holding Trident,
Sacrificing at Altar
Reverse: Goddess Ardoksho Enthroned, Facing
Forward, Holding Cornucopiae
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 the goddess Ardoksho 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.
