ANCIENT KUSHAN DYNASTY COIN OF THE GREAT KING CIR 100AD Start Price USD 42.99 Current Price USD 42.99 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, September 17, 2008 End Time Wednesday, December 10, 2008 Location Diamondhead, Mississippi See more about 'ANCIENT KUSHAN DYNASTY COIN OF THE GREAT KING CIR 100AD' Description   KUSHAN DYNASTY COIN OF THE GREAT KING High relief,high grade coin!   INDIA - TETRADRACHM –   OBVERSE: BUST OF KING W LANCE reverse: king on horse   METAL: BRONZE    SIZE:  ‘RANGE’ 20MM to 24MM In the third century B.C., the Yueh?Chihs, a loose confederation of Indo?European people, belonged to the pastoral nomad state of what is now Inner Mongolia.  This nomadic hord were the members of the Xiongnu confederacy.  They were China's main rivals during the Han period.  The earliest Great Wall of China was built to defend the territory the Han had captured from Xiongnu.    After the falling out of Yueh Chihs with the confederacy, they split off and fled to Bactria (northwest Afghanistan and Tajikistan) around 135 B.C. Gradually wresting control of the area from the Scytho?Parthians, the Yueh Chihs moved south into the northwest Indian region traditionally known as Gandhara (now parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan) and established a capital near Kabul. Though China made several attempts to woo them as their natural allies, Yue?Chihs rejected the offer of returning to Xiongnu.   The Yueh?Chih nobles intermarried, creating several powerful clans.  They came into contact with the Greek culture, learned to use a form of the Greek alphabet, and lost their nomadic habits. One of those five tribes, the (Kueh Shen) Kushanas overpowered the others and founded the Kushan state.   At the height of the dynasty in the early second century, Kushanas controlled a large territory ranging from the Aral Sea through areas that include present?day Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan into northern India as far east as Benares and as far south as Sanchi.  It was also a period of great wealth marked by extensive mercantile activities, both in seagoing trade and in commerce along the Silk Road to China, and a flourishing of urban life, Buddhist thought, and the visual arts.   Although the Kushan Empire was one of the major beneficiaries of the Silk Road, it did not last very long. By the mid?third century C.E. it had shrunk to a small kingdom attached to Persia's rising Sassanian Empire   This extraordinary coin is a genuine ancient bronze tetradrachm minted in the first century A.D. during the reign of the Kushan dynasty king Vima Takto.  Note the remarkable state of preservation exhibited by the coin. Its design, featuring portraiture, high relief and superb craftsmanship was heavily influenced by classical Greek coins.   It was Vima’s son, Kanishka, who gained notoriety for having conquered Afghanistan and northwest India near the end of the fist century A.D. For more than a millenium, the name of this king and his connection to the coins were lost to antiquity.  The cryptic inscription on his coins bore only the words “Soter Megas” (Great King).  In 1993, it was scholar’s chance discovery of ancient texts that finally ended the mystery: the “Great King” was in fact Vima Takto.   If you are dissatisfied with anything you get from me return it and I will refund all your money including return postage. Thanks for looking and please visit my store where you will find LOTS of  these uncirculated coins,circulated coins,coins by region and type.Also there are uncirculated banknotes in assortments of 25 different,50 different,100 different, bulk banknotes and banknotes by country. I cannot reduce shipping charges on bulk coins.Reason is the weight.I can give a better discount on shipping for single items combined with other items.Please e mail me.Thanks. Place a Bid!