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1 Drachm - Sapalbizes
| Issuer | Yuezhi, Tribal confederation of |
|---|---|
| Year | 20 BC - 1 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | A lion standing in profile to the right, rendered in a stylised manner combining Hellenistic and Central Asian artistic conventions, placed on a ground line of pellets. A Kharoshthi letter appears above the animal in the upper field. The divine name NANAIA is inscribed in Greek legend on both sides of the central device, flanking the lion to the left and right, referencing the Iranian goddess Nanaia who was widely venerated across the region. |
| Reverse script | Greek/Kharoshthi |
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| Additional information |
Sapalbizes ruled a Yuezhi sub-kingdom in Bactria during the turbulent interregnum between the collapse of Indo-Greek power and the consolidation of the Kushan empire. His coinage closely imitates Indo-Greek prototypes — a deliberate choice by a nomadic ruling class asserting legitimacy over sedentary Greek-influenced populations they had displaced after pushing south across the Oxus in the late 2nd century BC. The specific tribal affiliation of Sapalbizes within the Yuezhi confederation remains debated; he may represent one of the five *xihou* recorded in Chinese sources.