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INDIA, Kushan Empire. Vima Kadphises. Circa AD 113-127. AV Double Dinar (26mm, 15.94 g, 12h). Bilingual series. Main mint in Baktria. BACIΛЄYC OOH MO KAΔΦICHC, diademed and crowned bust of Vima Kadphises left within window frame, holding branch in right hand; left hand on sill; tamgha above / Maharajasa rajadirajasa sarvaloga iśvarasa mahiśvarasa vima kaphthiśasa tradara[sa] in Kharosthi, ithyphallic Siva standing facing, head left, holding trident in right hand and resting left arm on bull Nandi behind, who is standing right with head facing; Buddhist triratana (Three Jewels) to left. Bopearachchi, Premiers –; Bopearchchi, Some –; MK 8 (dies unlisted); ANS Kushan 258; Donum Burns –. Lightly toned, traces of deposits in devices. Near EF. Extremely rare, none in CoinArchives.
From the Archytas Collection.
Vima Kadphises was an adept military leader who expanded Kushan power throughout much of Central Asia. He also had some contact with Rome, being the first Kushan ruler to send a diplomatic mission there during the reign of Trajan. It was also under the rule of Vima Kadphises that the first Kushan gold coins were struck, perhaps using the Roman gold that was received as a result of the Kushans extending their protective control over the Silk Road during his reign. This facilitated trade in luxury items with the Roman Empire, such as silk, spices, and other exotic goods. Vima Kadphises introduced the gold dinar (struck on an 8g weight standard), a fractional quarter dinar, and the very impressive double dinar. This extraordinary type, which is unparalleled in the Kushan series, depicts a detailed bust of Vima Kasphises seen through a window frame, the ties of his diadem billowing through to the exterior.
The reverse depicts the Hindu deity Siva, known to the later Kushans as Oesho, illustrative that Vima Kadphises, like his father and predecessor, Vima Taktu (Soter Megas), embraced the religion of Shaivism, a branch of Hinduism. Shaivists recognized Siva as the supreme god of the Brahma-Siva-Visnu triad, contrary to the traditional view that the three deities were parts of the Trimurti, the three aspects which make up the supreme godhead. Siva is sometimes portrayed as a figure with a tripartite head and is usually shown in association with Nandi, the bull of happiness and strength. Siva often appears in an ithyphallic state, recalling the ancient
and abstract form of the god: that of a conical or ithyphallic-shaped stone, or siva lingam, set within a yoni, a round base with a single projecting channel, which together represented the respective male and female parts and the mystical powers of generation. The Buddhist triratana (Three Jewels), is also displayed on the reverse, indicating that like his son and successor Kanishka I, Vima Kadphises was interested in Buddhism.
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