The New York Sale
Auction 40 11 January 2017
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ANCIENT COINS, ANCIENT GREEK COINS, Baktrian Kingdom. Euthydemos II. Silver Tetradrachm (16.77 g), ca. 185-180 BC. Diademed and draped bust of Euthydemos II right. Rev. -, Herakles standing facing, holding wreath, club and lion's skin; in inner left field, monogram. (Bopearachchi 1D; SNG ANS 217-8). Wonderful high relief. Extremely fine.
Although Euthydemos II evidently was still quite young when he succeeded his father, Demetrios I, the founder of the Indo-Greek kingdom, his portrait coinage encapsulates all the qualities that art historians have come to appreciate about Indo-Greek and Graeco-Baktrian portraiture. The highly sculpted and realistic images tempt the viewer to believe that they know the ruler in the portrait as an individual person and to interpret his character despite the fact that almost nothing is known about most of the kings outside of the coins themselves.
Estimate: $ 4,500
Although Euthydemos II evidently was still quite young when he succeeded his father, Demetrios I, the founder of the Indo-Greek kingdom, his portrait coinage encapsulates all the qualities that art historians have come to appreciate about Indo-Greek and Graeco-Baktrian portraiture. The highly sculpted and realistic images tempt the viewer to believe that they know the ruler in the portrait as an individual person and to interpret his character despite the fact that almost nothing is known about most of the kings outside of the coins themselves.
Estimate: $ 4,500