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Tetradrachm - Euthydemos I
| Issuer | Kings of Baktria |
|---|---|
| Year | 230 BC - 200 BC |
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| Currency | Drachm (305-15BC) |
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| Obverse description | Diademed head of Euthydemos I in right profile, rendered in fine Hellenistic portraiture style with naturalistic features. The diadem is tied at the nape of the neck with ends trailing behind, and the hair is depicted in short, wavy locks framing the face. The bust is truncated at the shoulder and set within a dotted border. The portrait is of exceptional artistic quality, reflecting the strong Greek artistic tradition prevalent in Baktrian coinage of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Euthydemos I seized the Baktrian throne by overthrowing Diodotos II, the son of the original breakaway satrap, sometime around 230 BC — making his coinage the product of a double usurpation. His legitimacy was tested severely when Antiochos III marched east during his great anabasis and besieged Euthydemos at Bactra for two years. The siege ultimately failed, and Antiochos recognized Euthydemos as king, a diplomatic settlement that effectively confirmed Baktria's independence from Seleukid control for good.
The portrait tradition established on his tetradrachms influenced every subsequent Baktrian ruler.