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Drachm - Gondophares - 12 BC-130 AD Province of Sakastan
| Issuer | Indo-Parthian Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 20-55 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek/Kharoshthi |
| Reverse lettering | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΓΟΝΔΟΦΑΡΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΟΣ |
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| Additional information |
Gondophares I ruled a kingdom assembled from the wreckage of Indo-Scythian power across what is now southern Afghanistan and Pakistan, and his reign is one of the few in ancient numismatics to intersect — however controversially — with early Christian tradition. The Acts of Thomas, a 3rd-century apocryphal text, names a king "Gudnaphar" as the ruler to whom the apostle Thomas was sent as a carpenter-slave. For over a millennium this seemed pure legend, until a lead tablet and these very coins surfaced in the 19th century confirming the name as historical.
The die alignment and fabric on specimens attributed to Sakastan often show considerable variation, reflecting decentralized production across multiple mints operating without strict central oversight.