Item number: A1654

Year: AD 1905-1912

Material: Silver

Size: 16.1 x 15.4 x 1.0 mm

Weight: 2.35 g

Manufactured by: Taxila

Provenance: Coincraft 2017

This is a drachm silver coin minted during the reign of King Menander I Soter of the Indo-Greek Kingdom, which ruled the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent between 165 and 130 BC.

The obverse of the coin features a portrait of Menander I Soter, depicted wearing a diadem and facing left, poised to hurl a spear. The upper edge of the portrait bears the ancient Greek inscription “BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ” (“King Saviour”), while the lower edge displays the king’s name, “ΜΕΝΑΝΔΡΟΥ” (“of Menander”).

The reverse of the coin features Athena Alkidemos (“Athena, Defender of the People”), a deity introduced to India through the campaigns of Alexander the Great. Athena is depicted facing left, holding a thunderbolt in one hand and a shield in the other. In the lower right corner, there is the mintmark of Taxila, one of the most significant cities of ancient South Asia. Surrounding the figure is a circular Kharosthi inscription, which translates to “Saviour King Menander I.”

The Indo-Greek Kingdom refers to a series of Hellenistic states that existed between circa 180 BC and AD 10, which were formed after the breakup of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. These states spanned across what is today Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. King Menander I (also known as Milinda), hailed from a Greek immigrant family originating in Alexandria on the Caucasus, located within modern-day Afghanistan.

According to the Buddhist text Milindapanha (The Questions of King Milinda), which was written during the reign of King Menander I, Menander was known for his extensive scholarship and expertise in military tactics from a young age. Upon ascending to the throne, he immediately launched a campaign against the Maurya Empire in northern India, eventually capturing its capital, Pataliputra (modern-day Patna), and expanding the borders of his kingdom to its peak.

King Menander I was also a great patron of Buddhism and various cultural pursuits. He personally converted to Buddhism and engaged in a series of dialogues with the Buddhist monk Nagasen. These discussions were compiled into the text Milindapanha, which remains an important source for understanding the interaction between Hellenistic and Indian thought during this period.

物件編號: A1654

年代: 公元 1905-1912 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 16.1 x 15.4 x 1.0 mm

重量: 2.35 g

製造地: 塔克西拉

來源: 錢幣工藝 2017

這是公元前165至130年之間，南亞次大陸西北方的印度-希臘王國國王米南德一世統治期間鑄造的打蘭銀幣。

錢幣正面是頭上戴著王冠，面朝左邊準備將手中的長矛拋擲出去的米南德一世肖像。肖像上緣打印古希臘銘文「BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ」(國王救主)，下緣則是國王的名諱「ΜΕΝΑΝΔΡΟΥ」(米南德的)。

錢幣背面是從希臘神話變體而來，隨著馬其頓出身的亞歷山大大帝東征帶到印度的神明「雅典娜 人民的守護神」，雅典娜面朝左方，一手拿著閃電一手拿著盾牌，右下角是古代南亞次大陸最重要的城市，塔克西拉鑄幣廠的戳記。神像周圍的環形佉盧文，意思是「救世主 米南德一世」。

印度-希臘王國是公元前180至公元10年之間，對於分裂自希臘-巴克特里亞王國的希臘化諸王國總稱，疆域橫跨今日的阿富汗、巴基斯坦和印度。米南德一世是出身於「高加索的亞歷山卓」即阿富汗境內的希臘移民家庭。

根據米南德一世時期成書的佛教經典《彌蘭王問經》紀載，米南德自幼就博覽全書並且善於兵法戰鬥，其繼位之初立即向北印度的孔雀王朝發動遠征，一度攻陷孔雀王朝的首都華氏城，將王國的版圖疆域推至鼎盛。同時米南德一世也大力贊助和推動佛教和各類文化，尤其是國王本人還皈依於佛教，並且留下跟佛教比丘那先問道的合集《彌蘭王問經》。