Bactrian Tetradrachm
About Bactrian Tetradrachm
See Bactrian Coin entry. The Bactrian tetradrachms of Eucratides I were the largest ancient silver coins, some weighing over 169 grams. These massive coins likely served as presentation pieces rather than circulating currency. The Bactrian kingdom produced some of the finest Hellenistic portraiture. Coins of Menander I show a realistic aging king. After Bactria fell to the Yuezhi, the Kushan dynasty continued the coinage tradition with Indian and Iranian influences.
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