KINGS of BAKTRIA. Agathokles. Circa 185-170 BC. AR Drachm (3.22 gm, 12h). Bilingual series. BASILEWS AGAQOKLEOUS, the Indian god Balarama-Samkarshana standing facing, wearing ornate headdress, earrings, and sheathed sword, brandishing gada in his right hand, holding plow-symbol in left / “Rajane Agathuklayasa” in Karosthi, the Indian god Vasudeva-Krishna standing facing, wearing ornate headdress, earrings, and sheathed sword, holding sankha in his right hand, chakra (ornamented wheel) in left. Audouin & Bernard, “Trésor de monnaies indiennes et indogrecques d'Aï Khanoum (Afghanistan),” RN 1974, pl. I, 1-6; Bopearachchi Série 9A; SNG ANS -; MIG Type 149a; MACW -. EF, area of minor roughness on reverse. Extremely rare. ($7500)

The discovery in 1970 at the excavations at Aï Khanoum of six Indian-standard drachms confirmed that bilingual coinage existed as early as the reign of Agathokles. While bilingual bronze issues were already known for him, these silver drachms, all unworn and closely die-linked (two obverse and three reverse dies), were completely unknown prior to the discovery of the hoard. Based on the presence of bronze coins in the hoard from the Taxila mint, Audouin and Bernard have suggested these drachms were also struck there, and thus locate Agathokles’ center of control to Alexandria of the Caucasus in the Hindu Kush, capital of a territory that covered much of present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Punjab.