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20 Staters - Eukratides I
| Issuer | Kings of Baktria |
|---|---|
| Year | 190 BC - 150 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Heroic draped bust of Eukratides I in right-facing profile, wearing a crested Boeotian helmet adorned with a prominent plume, the cheekpiece raised. The king's youthful, idealized features are rendered in high relief with fine Hellenistic artistry, conveying regal authority. The portrait is set within a beaded border, with the broad flan characteristic of this exceptional denomination allowing the engraver exceptional freedom of expression. |
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| Reverse description | The Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, depicted as mounted cavalrymen riding at full gallop to the right, each wearing a crested helmet and a chlamys billowing behind them. The twin heroes are shown brandishing long spears held diagonally across the field, with their horses in animated prancing poses. Below the horses, a palm branch and a control symbol are visible in the lower field. The entire composition is encircled by the royal Greek legend arranged around the periphery. |
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| Additional information |
The largest gold coin of the ancient world by both weight and diameter, this twenty-stater piece was struck by Eukratides I, the Baktrian king who seized power around 170 BC and briefly extended Greek rule into northwestern India. Only one specimen is known to survive — held in the Bibliothèque nationale de France since the 19th century — making "rarity" an almost insufficient word. Eukratides himself was murdered by his own son, who reportedly drove a chariot over the body and forbade burial.