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Stater - Eucratides I
| Issuer | Kings of Baktria |
|---|---|
| Year | 170 BC - 145 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse description | Two mounted horsemen — the Dioskouroi Castor and Pollux — depicted at full gallop to the right, each bearing a long spear and wearing crested Macedonian helmets and military attire, rendered in a dynamic, energetic composition. In the lower right field, a monogram control mark is visible. The circular Greek legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΕΥΚΡΑΤΙΔΟΥ runs around the periphery, reading 'Of Great King Eukratides,' with ΕΥΚΡΑΤΙΔΟΥ inscribed along the lower register. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border, consistent with the finest Hellenistic die-cutting traditions of the Baktrian royal workshops. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Eucratides I seized the Baktrian throne through usurpation, overthrowing the Euthydemid dynasty sometime around 170 BC, and his subsequent reign was defined by almost continuous warfare — against Parthia to the west, Indian kingdoms to the east, and dynastic rivals closer to home. Ancient sources, particularly Justin, describe him as fighting 300 enemies with a force of just 300 men at one point, a detail almost certainly embellished but indicative of how his reign was remembered. He was assassinated by his own son, who reportedly drove a chariot over his corpse.
The "var." notations against all three standard references suggest this piece carries a die combination not precisely catalogued — not unusual for a reign producing gold across multiple mints and decades of conflict.