The Greeks in Bactria and India c13.12

c13.12

It is becoming clear that both Seleucids and Parthians operated only a few mints, serving large areas; and so far as can be made out there were very few regular Greek mints in the Farther East. Only four are at first certain: Bactra, Alexandria-Kapisa, Pushkalāvatī, and one in Menander’s home kingdom in the eastern Punjab, presumably at the capital, Sāgala. A fifth, Taxila, is morally certain; and it is possible that there was always a second mint in the eastern Punjab, at Bucephala,² though it only becomes certain under Hippostratus (p. 326). It is possible, though it cannot be proved, that there was for a time a mint in Antimachus’ sub-kingdom of Margiane, either at Antioch-Merv or possibly at Susia-Tōs; but this is very speculative, for his famous portrait was certainly engraved in Bactra (p. 75) and his coinage may have been struck for him there also (p. 440). There seems no trace to be got, so far, of any Greek mint either in Arachosia-Seistan or in Sind, where stood two of Demetrius’ name-cities, though later the Sacas struck, or got struck for them, a rude coinage in Seistan itself (p. 502). No doubt any city with a Greek community could produce coins of some sort if the political position necessitated this; but I am talking of the regular royal mints.