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Dichalkon - Menander I
| Issuer | Indo-Greek Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 160 BC - 145 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse script | Kharoshthi |
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| Additional information |
Menander I is the only Indo-Greek king mentioned by name in Buddhist literature — the Milindapanha records his philosophical dialogues with the monk Nagasena, after which he reportedly converted to Buddhism. Whether that account is historical or hagiographic remains contested, but his coinage is the most widely distributed of any Indo-Greek ruler, found across a geographic range stretching from Bactria into the Punjab and beyond.
The bilingual, biscript format adopted across his copper issues — Greek on one face, Kharosthi on the other — reflects genuine administrative reach into Indian territories, not mere symbolic ambition. Bopearachchi's sequencing places this type among his later issues.