The Greeks in Bactria and India c29.30

c29.30

Miaos’ coinage, especially his portrait, is too good to have been struck anywhere but in a Greek mint, which, if I am right about his relations with Hermaeus, could only be Kapisa; the introduction of the sh sign could only have taken place in some regular Greek centre. On the other hand, the various coins we have show too many variations and blunders in the legend for the Kapisa mint at the beginning of the reign of Hermaeus. It may be that there was by now a good deal of difference between the mints in Greek Alexandria and Indian Kapisa. But the commonsense of the matter seems to be that Miaos’ portrait was engraved, and coin-models made, for him in the capital, and that he then copied them, as best might be, in his own lordship. This would agree well enough with the story.