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-- Greek, Kharoṣṭhī names of Apollodotus and Maues together with Indus Script hieroglyphs of elephant, zebu on 2nd cent. BCE coins
Indus Script hieroglyphs of elephant and zebu occur on ancient coins of Apollodotus and Maues occur together with Greek and Kharoṣṭhī legends of their names.
These evidences of coins of 2nd cent. BCE demonstrate that Indus Script was used to display the wealth produced in mints, while Greek-Kharoṣṭhī scripts were used to signify the names of the issuers of coins.
The evidence proves the continued use of Indus Script together with syllabic scripts. Syllabic scripts were used to signify names, while Indus script was continued to be used to signify wealth resources using hieroglyphs such as elephant, zebu. Rebus readings of these Indus Script hieroglyphs are:
karba, ibha'elephant' rebus: karba, ib'iron'
पोळ pōḷa, 'zebu, bos indicus' signifies pōḷa 'magnetite, ferrous-ferric oxide Fe3O4'
Bactria: Apollodotus I
Indo-Greek: Apollodotus I, Silver Attic weight hemidrachm, c. 174-165 BCE
Weight: 1.74 gm., Diam: 14 mm., Die axis: 12 h
Elephant walking right, Greek legend around:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY ΣΩTHPOΣ /
Humped bull walking right, Kharoshthi legend around:
maharajasa apaladatasa tratarasa
Weight: 1.74 gm., Diam: 14 mm., Die axis: 12 h
Elephant walking right, Greek legend around:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY ΣΩTHPOΣ /
Humped bull walking right, Kharoshthi legend around:
maharajasa apaladatasa tratarasa
Apollodotus's initial issue south of the Hindu Kush was this round Attic weight hemidrachm, with a nominal weight of 2.12 gm. It must not have found acceptance with the local population, as he abandoned it soon after (judging by the scarcity of this type) and switched to a square format coin reflecting the shape of the Mauryan karshapanas and a new weight standard of about 2.45 gm.
Indo-Greek: Apollodotus I, Silver "Indian" weight drachm, c. 174-165 BCE
Weight: 2.38 gm., Dim: 15 x 16 mm., Die axis: 12 h
Elephant walking right, Greek legend on three sides:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY ΣΩTHPOΣ
monogram below /
Humped bull standing right, Kharoshthi legend on three sides:
maharajasa apaladatasa tratarasa
Weight: 2.38 gm., Dim: 15 x 16 mm., Die axis: 12 h
Elephant walking right, Greek legend on three sides:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY ΣΩTHPOΣ
monogram below /
Humped bull standing right, Kharoshthi legend on three sides:
maharajasa apaladatasa tratarasa
This was the "Indian style and standard" coin that replaced the previous one. These coins are relatively common.
Maues, AE hemi-obol
Weight: 8.89 gm. Dimensions: 24 x 24 mm Die axis: 12 o'clock
Elephant walking right, with raised trunk, within rectangular dotted border,
Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ BAΣIΛEΩN MEΓAΛOY MAYOY
Humped bull standing right, monogram at right,
Kharoshthi legend around: rajatirajasa mahatasa moasa
Reference: MIG 735, Sen 14.1
Weight: 8.89 gm. Dimensions: 24 x 24 mm Die axis: 12 o'clock
Elephant walking right, with raised trunk, within rectangular dotted border,
Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ BAΣIΛEΩN MEΓAΛOY MAYOY
Humped bull standing right, monogram at right,
Kharoshthi legend around: rajatirajasa mahatasa moasa
Reference: MIG 735, Sen 14.1
Maues was a king of this tribe who appears to have conquered territory in Kashmir and then acquired control of the area around Taxila in the Punjab. At this point, the Scythians were perhaps not as distinct from the Greeks as might be imagined, as considerable inter-marriage was probably taking place. There is a coin telling us that the so-called "Indo-Greek" king Artemidoros was the son of Maues. We also see this inter-mingling in the fact that most of Maues's coin types follow Greek prototypes.
The date of Maues is still not entirely clear.The traditional dates are c. 90-60 BCE, but Artemidoros is dated to c. 85 BCE, which suggests Maues should be earlier. "
INDO-GREEK: Apollodotus I (Apollodotos I) square Silver drachm, Elephant/Bull type.
| Obverse | Elephant standing right, monogram below, Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY / ΣΩTHPOΣ |
| Reverse | Humped bull standing right, monogram below, Kharoshthi legend around: Maharajasa / Apaladatasa / tratarasa |
| Date | c. 174-165 BCE |
| Weight | 2.22 gm. |
| Dimensions | 16 x 17 mm. |
| Die axis | 12 o'clock |
| Reference | MIG 207a, Bop 4C |
| Comments | The first silver coin of the Indo-Greeks to enjoy wide circulation. |