Indo-Sakas in Western India, silver drachm, Damajadasri III (250-255 AD) as Maha

Description

Bust of Damajadasri III right, with corrupted Greek legend (Indo-Greek style), date in Brahmi numerals behind (177 Saka Era = 255 AD) / Three-arched hill or Chaitya, with river, crescent and sun, within legend in Brahmi Rajno Mahaksatrapasa Damasenaputrasa Rajna Mahaksatrapasa Damajadasriya. 16mm, 2.26 grams. "Studies in the Coinage of Western Kshatrapas" # coins of Ksatrapas are important since they are mostly dated - the dates helped to clarify the early history of India. Coins with clear dates, such as this coin are rare - on most specimens the date is struck off Western Kshatrapas, or Western Satraps, (35-405 CE) were Saka rulers of the western and central part of India (Saurashtra and Malwa: modern Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states). They were contemporaneous with the Kushans who ruled the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, and the Satavahana (Andhra) who ruled in Central India.