Elephant / bull silver coins - Apollodotus II?

6 posts
Hello,
I believe these are silver hemidrachms from Apollodotus II’s era but I need some confirmation on that. I thought it was a common type but it doesn’t seem to be on Numista yet, and I don’t know if there was similar coinage after Apollodotus’ reign or something. Have mine been correctly identified?

#1:


diameter: 14.7mm
thickness: 0.7mm
weight: 1.09g

#2:


diameter: 13.6mm
thickness: 0.8mm
weight: 0.64g
Twopence a week, and jam every other day!
To me they both look like the same design, and very similar to this one

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/coinindia/36/product/indogreek_apollodotus_i_apollodotos_i_square_silver_drachm_elephantbull_type/890487/Default.aspx

Apollodotus I silver drachm
Obverse Elephant standing right, monogram below, Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY / ΣΩTHPOΣ
Reverse Humped bull standing right, monogram below, Kharoshthi legend around: Maharajasa / Apaladatasa / tratarasa
Date c. 174-165 BCE
Weight 2.04 gm.
Dimensions 17 x 17 mm.
Die axis 12 o'clock
Reference MIG 207i, Bop 4G
Comments The first silver coin of the Indo-Greeks to enjoy wide circulation.

I agree that because the weights and dimensions of your two specimens are lower they may be hemidrachms.
Looks like it. Rather strange how there’s hardly any info about this type of hemidrachm to be found, though!
Twopence a week, and jam every other day!
Quote: "Seeker55"BAΣIΛEΩΣ / AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY / ΣΩTHPOΣ

Why is it so common to mix Greek and Latin letters here? I've never seen it anywhere else on the internet. Also Cyrillic and Latin is mixed here. Isn't it more work to switch between the two keyboards than to write it all with the same?
BAΣIΛEΩΣ / AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY / ΣΩTHPOΣ --> ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΑΠΟΛΛΟΔΟΤΟΥ / ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ
Or, am I the only one who sees the difference? 8.
In the ANS catalog on these Indo-Greek coins there are 41 examples of the Indian-standard drachms of this type and only 2 of the hemidrachm. In Mitchiner's work there are 20 photos of the drachms and 3 of the hemidrachm. Certainly the hemidrachm is scarcer.

The theoretical weights are 2.45 g for the drachm and 1.23 g for the hemidrachm. Mitchiner identifies the workshop mark found on coin #1 as coming from Jammu.
Thank you! Hmmm, I wonder if I can find info on the hemidrachms...?

I believe this https://www.educationalcoin.com/ancient-greek-india-indo-greek-kingdoms-apollodotos-i-c-160-to-150-bce-silver-bilingual-square-drachm.html was where I got them. Somewhat disappointing, I must say, but then again hemidrachms aren't that bad...
Twopence a week, and jam every other day!

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