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Tetradrachm - Azes II Taxila mint
| Issuer | Indo-Scythian Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 58 BC - 12 BC |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 9.9 g |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a standing male deity, identified as Zeus or a Hellenised rendering of a local divinity, depicted in three-quarter stance facing left, draped in a himation about the lower body while the upper torso is bare. The figure extends one arm forward, possibly presenting a wreath or small Nike, while holding a long sceptre or spear in the other hand. Two distinct monograms appear in the left and right fields, serving as mint or magistrate control marks characteristic of Taxila issues. A continuous Kharosthi legend encircles the entire design, reading MAHARAJASA RAJADIRAJASU MAHATASA AYASA, the Prakrit equivalent of the Greek obverse title. |
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| Mintage | ND (58 BC - 12 BC) |
| Additional information |
Azes II's precise relationship to Azes I remains unresolved — some scholars, including Nicholas Sear, have argued the two are the same ruler, which would collapse the dynasty's chronology considerably. The Taxila mint was one of the most productive in the Indo-Scythian system, operating under satrapal administration in a city that had already served as a major economic hub under the Achaemenids, Alexander, and the Mauryas before the Scythians arrived.
Senior 105.342T places this among the later die sequences from Taxila, where control marks became increasingly systematized — likely a response to managing output across multiple concurrent workshops.