Catalog
1 Drachm - Sapalbizes
| Issuer | Yuezhi, Tribal confederation of |
|---|---|
| Year | 20 BC - 1 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Drachm |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Draped bust of the ruler Sapalbizes facing right, wearing a crested Macedonian-style helmet adorned with a crest and cheekguards rendered in the Hellenistic tradition. The portrait displays strong Greco-Bactrian artistic influence, with the facial features modelled in low relief on an irregular flan. The Greek legend naming the ruler appears in the left field behind the bust, partially visible due to the compact flan size. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Sapalbizes ruled a Yuezhi sub-kingdom in Bactria during the turbulent interregnum between the collapse of Indo-Greek power and the consolidation of the Kushan empire. His coinage closely imitates Indo-Greek prototypes — a deliberate choice by a nomadic ruling class asserting legitimacy over sedentary Greek-influenced populations they had displaced after pushing south across the Oxus in the late 2nd century BC. The specific tribal affiliation of Sapalbizes within the Yuezhi confederation remains debated; he may represent one of the five *xihou* recorded in Chinese sources.