Item number: A2873

Year: 35-12 BC

Material: Silver

Size: 15.8 x 15.7 x 0.6 mm

Weight: 7.4 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2020

This is a silver drachm minted between 35 BC and 12 BC by Azes II, a ruler of the Indo-Scythian Kingdom in the northwestern Indian subcontinent. The existence of Azes II remains a subject of scholarly debate, with some researchers arguing that Azes II and the earlier ruler Azes I may, in fact, be the same person rather than distinct monarchs.

The coin is in a relatively poor state of preservation, with many details having been worn away. The obverse features a typical design of the Indo-Scythian Kingdom, depicting a cloaked king riding a horse. Surrounding the image is a circular inscription, likely in ancient Greek, reading “BAΣIΛEΩΣ BAΣIΛEΩN MEΓAΛOY AZOY”, which translates to “King of Kings, the Great Azes.”

The reverse of the coin is in even poorer condition. At the centre is an image of the Greek deity Pallas, facing left—a reflection of the enduring Hellenistic cultural influence on the Indian subcontinent since the time of Alexander the Great’s eastern campaigns. On either side below the figure of Pallas are Kharosthi script monograms, possibly signifying “elephant.” The coin’s outer margin bears a circular inscription in Kharosthi as well, though most of it has been worn away and is no longer legible.

The Indo-Scythian Kingdom refers to the realm established by the Saka and Scythian nomadic peoples, who ruled from circa 90 BC to AD 10, with their political centre in what is now Pakistan. These Central Asian nomads migrated into the Indian subcontinent and came under the influence of Hellenistic culture, which had persisted in the region since Alexander the Great’s eastern conquests. This cultural fusion contributed to the development of Gandhara Buddhist art, which blended Indian and Greek artistic traditions.

物件編號: A2873

年代: 公元前 35-12 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 15.8 x 15.7 x 0.6 mm

重量: 7.4 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2020

這是一枚公元前35至12年，南亞次大陸西北部的印度-斯基泰王國的統治者阿澤斯二世鑄造的打蘭銀幣。學界目前對於阿澤斯二世是否存在仍有爭議，有些學者認為阿澤斯二世和稍早的阿澤斯一世為同一位統治者。

錢幣的保存狀況不甚良好，有許多細節已經造到磨蝕。錢幣正面是印度-斯基泰王國典型的錢幣設計風格，一名披著披風騎著駿馬的國王肖像。錢幣周圍有環形銘文，應該是古希臘文「BAΣIΛEΩΣ BAΣIΛEΩN MEΓAΛOY AZOY」，意思是「王中之王，偉大的阿澤斯」。

錢幣的背面保存狀況更為糟糕。錢幣正中央是一名面朝左側的希臘神明帕拉斯的圖像，由此可見亞歷山大東征以來對於印度次大陸的希臘化文化影響。帕拉斯下方的左右兩側還各有一個佉盧文花押，意思可能是指「大象」。錢幣周圍還有佉盧文標示的環形銘文，不過泰半遭到磨蝕已無法辨識。

印度-斯基泰王國是對於公元前90年至公元10年間，以現今巴基斯坦為統治中心，遊牧民族塞迦人和斯基泰人建立的王國。這些從中亞進入南亞次大陸的遊牧民族，受到亞歷山大大帝東征以來遺留在當地的希臘化文化影響，形成結合印度和希臘風格的犍陀羅佛教藝術。