Nasten

Nasten

under construction
march, 2004

AR Tetradrachm
32 mm.
14.35 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust right within bead and reel border; Kharosthi aksara sam in right field.
Reverse: King on prancing horse right.
Note: 1) Helmet similar to the 'Macedonian Soldier' type of Kujula (Alram 1277); 2) sam not attested on Indo-Greek coins (but frequent on the coins of Azilises and Azes); 3) slightly debased silver; 4) lunate sigmas only on a rare Nicias AE series and the later issues of Strato II (circa 10 AD ?)

Excerpt from: Bopearachchi 1997 = Osmund Bopearachchi, 'Nasten, a Hitherto Unknown Iranian Ruler in India,' Studies In Silk Road Coins and Culture, The Institute of Silk Road Studies, Kamakura (1997)

18. Regarding the problems involved with the onomastics of the legend, see Bopearachchi and Grenet (1993).
19. See Rapin (1983), especially pp. 332-333 and 340-341; Rapin (1992) pp. 100 and 102.
20. Grenet (1983), especially p. 375.

Bopearachchi, O. and Grenet, F. (1993), "Nasten; un souverain iranien inconnu entre Grecs et Kouchans, " Studia Iranica 22, pp. 299-307

Rapin, C. (1983), "Les inscriptions economiques de la tresorie hellenistique d'Ai Khanoum (Afghanistan)", Bulletin de Correspondence hellenique, CVII, pp. 315-372.

Rapin, C. (1992), Fouilles d'Ai Khanoum, VIII, MDAFA, pp. 100 and 102.

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