Attribution of the Apollodotus Coins

Summary

The article investigates the problem of attributing coins bearing the name Apollodotus to the correct Indo‑Greek king. Apollodotus I was an Indo‑Greek ruler who governed territories in northwest India around 180–160 BCE. He is credited with establishing the Indo‑Greek kingdom and was the first ruler to issue bilingual coins with Greek and Kharoshthi inscriptions. His silver drachms depict a standing elephant, a symbol associated with Buddhism, while the reverse shows a zebu bull symbolising Shiva and Hinduism, emphasising his accommodation of Indian religions. Numismatists have long debated whether there was a second king named Apollodotus II and which coins belong to each. The article reviews the evidence by examining legends, monograms and iconography. It notes that coins in the name of Apollodotus fall into two broad categories: those with the king’s epithet "Soter" and those with "Nikephoros". Coins with the elephant‑bull motifs and the title "Basileos Apollodotou Soteros" are widely accepted as belonging to Apollodotus I. They show Greek legends on the obverse and Kharoshthi legends on the reverse, reading "Maharajasa Apaladatasa tratarasa." The style of portraiture, flan size and monograms correspond to early Indo‑Greek issues. By contrast, another series bearing the title "Nikephoros" displays a different portrait style, distinct monograms and a sceptre‑bearing figure; some scholars attribute these to a later ruler Apollodotus II, who possibly ruled c. 80–65 BCE. The article examines hoard evidence and die sequences to argue that the two series were separated by several decades. Furthermore, the article evaluates the geographical distribution of finds. Coins of the "Soter" type are abundant in the Punjab and Sindh regions, consistent with the realm of Apollodotus I. The "Nikephoros" coins are rarer and are found further east, suggesting a separate dynasty. The author also compares the coins’ weight standards and fabric with those of contemporaries like Menander I and Hippostratus, concluding that Apollodotus I used the Attic weight standard while the later king adopted a reduced weight. Based on these analyses, the article argues for the existence of two separate rulers and assigns the "Nikephoros" coins to Apollodotus II. The findings help clarify Indo‑Greek chronology and highlight the importance of numismatic evidence in reconstructing early Indian history.