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Tetradrachm - Heliokles II
| Issuer | Kings of Baktria |
|---|---|
| Year | 90 BC - 75 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Diademed and draped bust of Heliokles II facing right, wearing a royal diadem with flowing ends visible behind the head; the king is depicted in Hellenistic style with finely rendered curly hair and an aegis or cuirass at the shoulder. A palm branch or sceptre appears in the field to the right. The encircling Greek legend reads ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΗΛΙΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ (of the Just King Heliokles), distributed around the obverse field. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΗΛΙΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ |
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| Additional information |
Heliokles II ruled a shrinking Baktrian kingdom under sustained pressure from Yuezhi nomadic incursions pushing down from the north — the same migrations that would eventually extinguish Greek rule in Baktria entirely within a generation. His precise dynastic position remains contested; some scholars place him as a successor to Heliokles I, others argue for no direct lineage at all. The coinage is relatively scarce, consistent with a reign conducted more in crisis management than stable administration.