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https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=22A48BAD9FF5D19334DF932EF106B9BF3C88C3F28BB9B6CB9C8B191A8BDCEE66&s=24247294&se=663729948&v=1&f=%5Cd3065%5Cu214230656%5C1999.225_o2.jpg
Mar 5, 2007
Coin of Kushan King Vima Kadphises
Coin of Kushan King Vima Kadphises
AD 100–200s
Part of a set. See all set records
India, Mathura, Kushan period
(AD 1-320)
Gold
Diameter: 2.2 cm (7/8 in.)
Anonymous Gift 1999.225
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Description
This gold coin represents the reigns of the Kushana ruler, Vima Kadphises. The coin bears a portrait of the ruler on the obverse and various deities on the reverse. It is identified by an inscription in Kharosthi, the language used in northwestern India during the Kushan period.
The reverse depicts the figure of Hercules with the skin of the Nemean lion draped over his forearm and the lion's scalp also worn over his head. The Kushans primarily identified with Zoroastrian religious practice, but imagery on their coins and the religious groups they sponsored suggest they were ecumenical--open to supporting a wide range of sects.
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