GREEK. BAKTRIA. Greco-Baktrian Kingdom. Eukratides I Megas. Circa 170-145 BC. Silver Tetradrachm (16.87g). Helmeted, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / The Dioskouroi, holding palm fronds and spears, on horses rearing right; monogram in lower right field. Bopearachchi 6E; Bopearachchi & Rahman 240-242; SNG ANS 465; MIG Type 177ee; HGC 12, 131. Iridescent toning with underlying lustre. aEF. This silver tetradrachm of Eukratides I Megas belongs to the moment when he emerged as the dominant power in the Greco-Baktrian world and set out to redefine kingship on the eastern fringes of the Hellenistic realm. It is not merely currency; it is a deliberate statement of royal ambition, designed to place Eukratides on a level with the great Hellenistic monarchs and to project his authority from the edge of the Greek world deep into Central Asia. (P)

Estimate: AUD 3000