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Author Topic: Kushan Kings, Kanishka  (Read 6443 times)

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Offline peterpil19

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Kushan Kings, Kanishka
« on: February 08, 2017, 05:57:22 am »
Hi,

I posted this in the ID section of the forum and it was suggested I would have better luck here.
Link to my post: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=110047.0

Original post:

Quote
Hi,

I've become a little stuck with this Kushan coin and would be grateful for any help.

The closest coin I can find is no 63 in Satya Srava's Kushana Numismatics. However the coin there is gold, not copper, with a longer inscription on the obverse.

This is as far as I have gotten:

On the obverse: king sacrificing over altar. I cannot make out the inscription... I cannot see the words KOpANO on my coin. I can make out what looks like PAO but not in the right order to be KOpANO.

On the reverse:  on one side is a sacrificing over an alter, with the words AΘpO i.e. ATHSO, the Fire-god.

The closest example i've seen is on wildwinds (BMC 46) but that reference looks incorrect to me as the inscriptions described do not match the image of the coin it accompanies on wildwinds.

Peter


Offline peterpil19

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Re: Kushan Kings, Kanishka
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2017, 02:27:39 am »
Hi,

If no-one can assist, perhaps someone has a recommendation of an up to date reference for Kushan coins? Wildwinds is lacking in this respect and the only text I have is quite old and missing many coins. I have lots of Kushan coins which I bought in bulk several years ago and would like to work through attributing them.

Peter

Metrodorus

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Re: Kushan Kings, Kanishka
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2017, 03:12:38 am »
Hi Peterpil19!

I'm sorry if I can't be much help, but as far as references go, a new one just came out, titled "Kushan, Kushano-Sasanian, and Kidarite Coins" published by the American Numismatic Society in the last year or two. The ANS might still carry copies if some aren't in Amazon.

Best of luck,

Metrodorus

Offline esnible

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Re: Kushan Kings, Kanishka
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2017, 09:39:40 am »
I have the ANS catalog, but I am having a hard time with your inscription, which looks like THPO to me.

Your coin looks quite a bit like ANS 553-560, which have the inscription OHpO for Oesho.
Your coin also looks like ANS 421-428, which have the inscription MIOPO for Miiro.

Complicating matters is that the inscriptions are often blundered.

Offline peterpil19

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Re: Kushan Kings, Kanishka
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2017, 02:44:34 am »
I have the ANS catalog, but I am having a hard time with your inscription, which looks like THPO to me.

Your coin looks quite a bit like ANS 553-560, which have the inscription OHpO for Oesho.
Your coin also looks like ANS 421-428, which have the inscription MIOPO for Miiro.

Complicating matters is that the inscriptions are often blundered.

Thanks,
I'll try and get a copy of the ANS catalog to assist with other coins.

My photos aren't clear enough but there is definitely a theta, and I can make out all the individual letters of AΘpO on the reverse - and those letters match how they appear in the other examples in Satya's text.
The obverse is where it falls apart for me.
However I take your point about the inscriptions being blundered. I never considered that.
I've noticed vendors listing Kushan coins with different deities than actually described on the coin. I thought it was in error due to non familiarity with Kushan coins but perhaps incorrect inscription on coins are common and they have corrected for the correct deity.

Thanks again, I'll post any findings here in future for other people's benefit.

Peter 

Offline esnible

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Re: Kushan Kings, Kanishka
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2017, 11:03:54 am »
The photos of Kanishka coins with inscriptions on the CoinIndia (Pankaj Tandon) are the best that I know of online.

http://coinindia.com/galleries-kanishka.html

Try to match your inscription to an example on that page.  I am not familiar with works by Satya Srava.

Offline peterpil19

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Re: Kushan Kings, Kanishka
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2017, 10:54:18 pm »
Thanks Ed!

I believe I found it on the coinindia website you referred me to.
I was correct about the reading of the inscription on the reverse.
On the obverse, the letters are not in order, which was the source of my confusion.

Peter

http://coinindia.com/Kanishka-3082-568.70p.jpg

Quote
AE tetradrachm or unit, c. 128-150 CE
Weight: 17.26 gm., Diam: 24-25 mm., Die axis: 12 o'clock
Crowned, diademed king standing facing, holding spear and sacrificing at altar at left,
Bactrian legend around: þAO KA ... NηþKI (King Kanishka) /
God of metals Athsho standing facing, with head turned to left, one hand on hip,
the other holding out diadem, Bactrian legend right: AΘþO, tamgha at left
Göbl 772, MAC 3082-84

Offline peterpil19

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Re: Kushan Kings, Kanishka
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2017, 12:28:59 am »
For the sake of completeness, my ANS catalogue arrived yesterday. My coin is ANS Kushan 459 ff.

The catalogue is extensive and will be helpful in attributing my Kushan coins.

Thank you Ed for the recommendation.

Peter

 

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