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Tetradrachm - Hermaeus Soter and Calliope
| Issuer | Indo-Greek Kingdom (India (ancient)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 125 BC - 90 BC |
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| Currency | Drachm (200 BC to 10 AC) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | Hermaeus depicted in full military attire, mounted on a horse rearing to the right; a bow in its bow case and a spear are attached to the saddle, emphasizing his martial identity. A Kharosthi dynastic legend is inscribed around the type in two lines. A royal monogram appears in the lower right field. The composition follows the standard Indo-Greek equestrian reverse type, reflecting both Hellenistic and local artistic conventions. |
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| Additional information |
Hermaeus was almost certainly the last Indo-Greek king to issue silver coinage of any significance, ruling in the Paropamisadae region as Bactrian Greek power collapsed under Saka and Yuezhi pressure from the north. His joint issues with Calliope — likely his queen — are unusual within the Indo-Greek series, where consort coinage is rare and politically deliberate. The pairing suggests a dynastic legitimacy claim at a moment when such claims were fragile at best.
After his reign, his image was appropriated and restruck by the very Kushan rulers who displaced him, producing posthumous issues well into the first century AD.