Catalog
Obol - Kujula Kadphises
| Issuer | Kushan Empire (India (ancient)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 50-90 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Standing figure of Kujula Kadphises in traditional Kushan dress, depicted in right-facing profile with arms outstretched to the right. The figure is flanked on either side by a Greek legend reading 'Chief Kushan' (ΧΟΡΑϹΟΥ ΚΟϷΑΝΟ or equivalent), rendered in the provincial Greek script characteristic of early Kushan coinage. The design is executed in a flat, schematic style typical of hammered silver fractions of the Kushan dynasty. |
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| Reverse lettering | (Translation: Chief Kushan) |
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| Additional information |
Kujula Kadphises founded the Kushan Empire by unifying the five Yabghus of the Yuezhi sometime in the first century AD, a consolidation documented in the Hou Hanshu. His early coinage is notably imitative — he copied Hermaeus of Bactria and Roman Augustus types before developing distinctly Kushan designs, suggesting a deliberate strategy of monetary legitimacy borrowed from recognized predecessors. This obol falls within the Senior B2.3 classification, placing it among the lighter silver fractions that circulated alongside his more prolific copper issues.