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Didrachm - Vasudeva I
| Issuer | Kushan Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 195-230 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Didrachm (2) |
| 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 |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The deity Shiva depicted standing facing in full figure, two-armed, holding a trident in one hand and a diadem or fillet in the other, rendered within the field of the coin. The sacred bull Nandi stands to the left behind the deity, shown in profile facing left. The composition reflects Kushan royal devotion to Shaivite iconography and is executed in the bold, frontal style characteristic of Kushan religious coinage of the Vasudeva I period. |
| 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 | ND (195-230) |
| Additional information |
Vasudeva I ruled the Kushan Empire at its administrative peak, though his reign coincided with mounting Sasanian pressure from the west that would eventually fracture Kushan territory within a generation. This bronze didrachm circulated across a trade network stretching from the Oxus basin into the Punjab, passing through hands engaged in commerce with both Rome and Han China simultaneously.
The bronze fabric here is notable — gold remained the prestige issue under Vasudeva, and bronze denominations like this served the interior economy rather than long-distance trade. Mitchiner's AC#3491 classification places it within a tightly grouped series distinguished primarily by reverse die alignment and nimbate detail.