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1 Drachm - Kanishka I
| Issuer | Kushan Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 127-150 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Drachm (1) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Standing frontal figure of King Kanishka I rendered in the characteristic Kushan style, depicted in full regalia with a nimbate head and wearing typical Central Asian attire including a long tunic and boots. The king holds a trident-like object in his right hand and extends his left arm outward. A dotted border encircles the design, and a Bactrian legend appears along the lower portion of the field. The die work is bold and flat, typical of the hammered coinage of the Kushan period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Reverse depicts a standing deity rendered in the Kushan artistic tradition, shown in a frontal pose with attributes characteristic of Kushan divine iconography. The figure appears within an irregular flan with a worn field, and a Bactrian legend is partially visible around the deity. The overall style reflects the syncretic religious imagery typical of Kanishka I coinage, blending Hellenistic, Iranian, and Indic influences. The strike is characteristic of hand-hammered production, resulting in some design weakness at the edges. |
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| Additional information |
Kanishka I presided over the Kushan Empire at its territorial and cultural peak, controlling trade routes connecting Rome to China and sponsoring the Fourth Buddhist Council, traditionally dated to his reign. His bronze drachms circulated across a corridor stretching from Bactria into the Gangetic plain, passing through hands that handled Roman denarii and Han Chinese coin in the same markets.
The bronze fractions are considerably scarcer than his gold dinars, which dominated long-distance commerce. Most surviving examples show heavy wear consistent with intensive local use rather than mercantile hoarding.