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It appears Apollodotus II (also spelled Apollodotos) recaptured at least parts of the Punjab from Maues, as there exists at
least one coin of Apollodotus that overstrikes a coin of Maues. The coinage of Apollodotus is quite extensive, both in numbers of types and numbers
of surviving coins, so it is likely he had a longer reign than many of the other kings in these waning days of the Indo-Greek kingdoms.
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Apollodotus II |
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Apollodotus II, Silver drachm
Weight: 2.24 gm. Diameter: 17 mm. Die axis: 12h
Bare-headed, diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY
(Basileos Soteros Apollodotou ... of King Apollodotus, the saviour)
Seen from behind, Athena Alkidemos standing left, holding aegis
on outstretched left arm, hurling thunderbolt with right hand, monogram at right,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 425l, Bop 1E
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This rare drachm, with its short legends, appears to be the first issue of Apollodotus. Very few tetradrachms
of this type are known. |
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Apollodotus II, Silver drachm
Weight: 2.24 gm. Diameter: 17 mm. Die axis: 11h
Bare-headed, diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY
(Basileos Soteros Apollodotou ... of King Apollodotus, the saviour)
Seen from behind, Athena Alkidemos standing left, holding aegis
on outstretched left arm, hurling thunderbolt with right hand, monogram at right,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 425 var, Bop 1 var
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This is a potentially important coin. The monogram on this coin is not known on any other coin of Apollodotus,
nor, as far as I can tell, on any other Indo-Greek coin. However, it is similar (although not idential) to monograms used by Maues and Azes I, and may form a "bridge"
between them, thereby strengthening our confidence in the chronology that Apollodotus II ruled between Maues and Azes I. |
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Apollodotus II, Silver tetradrachm
Weight: 9.77 gm. Diameter: 26 mm. Die axis: 12:30h
Bare-headed, diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ MEΓAΛOY ΣΩTHPOΣ KAI ΦIΛOΠATOPOΣ
/ AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY
(Basileos Megalou Soteros kai Philopatoros Apollodotou ...
of King Apollodotus, the great, the saviour and the father-lover)
Seen from behind, Athena Alkidemos standing left, holding aegis
on outstretched left arm, hurling thunderbolt with right hand, monogram at left,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 423a, Bop 3B
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Apollodotus II, Silver drachm
Weight: 2.06 gm. Diameter: 17 mm. Die axis: 12h
Bare-headed, diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ KAI ΦIΛOΠATOPOΣ
/ AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY
(Basileos Soteros kai Philopatoros Apollodotou ...
of King Apollodotus, the saviour and the father-lover)
Seen from behind, Athena Alkidemos standing left, holding aegis
on outstretched left arm, hurling thunderbolt with right hand, monogram at left,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 424a, Bop 2I
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Bopearachchi lists this coin type before the tetradrachms above, but this is probably the drachm denomination that
accompanied the previous coin. It drops the word MEΓAΛOY (the great) from the Greek legend, probably because there was simply not enough space on
the coin for it. No drachms including that word are known, nor are any tetradrachms that exclude it. A look at the style of this and the previous tetradrachm shows that these
are unquestionably the work of the same die-cutter, and probably were made at just about the same time as well. |
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Apollodotus II, AE obol or octuple unit
Weight: 15.89 gm. Diameter: 29 mm. Die axis: 2h
Apollo standing three-quarters right, holding bow, monogram at left,
Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY
(Basileos Soteros Apollodotou ... of King Apollodotus, the saviour)
Tripod, flanked by Kharoshthi letters,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 432e, Bop 6C
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Surprisingly, Apollodotus chose to feature Athena on his silver coinage, despite the affinity of his name to the god
Apollo. However, he did feature Apollo on his base metal coinage. |
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Apollodotus II, AE obol or octuple unit
Weight: 16.30 gm. Diameter: 25 mm. Die axis: 12h
Apollo standing three-quarters right, holding bow,
Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣΩTHPOΣ / AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY
(Basileos Soteros Apollodotou ... of King Apollodotus, the saviour)
Tripod, flanked by Kharoshthi letters,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 431a, Bop 7A
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Although this coin is round, the legends on both sides are arranged in a rectangular format, as if the coin is
rectangular. A hemi-obol or double unit of this type is also known. |
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Apollodotus II, AE di-chalkon or double unit
Weight: 4.02 gm. Diameter: 17 mm. Die axis: 1h
Apollo standing three-quarters right, holding bow, within square frame
Tripod, flanked by Kharoshthi letters,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 435a, Bop 9A
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This coin dispenses with the obverse Greek legend, replacing it by a rectangular frame. The reverse legend
is arranged in a rectangular format. |
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Apollodotus II, AE di-chalkon or double unit
Weight: 4.00 gm. Diameter: 17 mm. Die axis: 12h
Apollo standing three-quarters right, holding bow, within circular dotted border
Diadem, flanked by Kharoshthi letters,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 438a, Bop 10A
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Apollodotus II, AE di-chalkon or double unit
Weight: 3.79 gm. Diameter: n. a. Die axis: 12h
Apollo standing three-quarters right, holding bow, within circular dotted border
Diadem, flanked by Kharoshthi letters,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 438a, Bop 10A
This coin sold on Jan 4, 2010 for $1,035. (photo courtesy CNG)
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Apollodotus II, AE di-chalkon or double unit
Weight: 3.96 gm. Dimensions: 16 x 17 mm. Die axis: 12h
Apollo standing three-quarters right, holding bow, within rectangular border
Diadem,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 437a, Bop 11A
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Apollodotus II, AE hemi-obol or quadruple unit
Weight: 10.14 gm. Diameter: 25 mm. Die axis: 12h
Apollo standing three-quarters right, holding bow and arrow, quiver on back,
Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣΩTHPOΣ / AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY
Tripod, flanked by monograms,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 433a, Bop 12A
This coin sold on Dec 5, 2012 for $633. (photo courtesy CNG)
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Apollodotus II, AE hemi-obol or quaduple unit
Weight: 8.20 gm. Dimensions: 18 x 21 mm. Die axis: 12h
Apollo standing three-quarters right, holding bow and arrow, quiver on back,
Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣΩTHPOΣ / AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY
Tripod, monogram at right, all within dotted border,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 429b, Bop 14B
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Apollodotus II, AE obol or octuple unit
Weight: 17.26 gm. Diameter: 23 mm. Die axis: 12h
Apollo standing three-quarters right, holding bow and arrow, quiver on back,
Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣΩTHPOΣ / AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY
Tripod, flanked by monograms,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 428, Bop 15E
This coin sold on Jul 20, 2011 for $138. (photo courtesy CNG)
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This coin, with its short Greek legend, must have been the early base-metal issue to accompany the earliest
silver coins. |
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Apollodotus II, AE hemi-obol or quadruple unit
Weight: 9.73 gm. Dimensions: 20 x 21 mm. Die axis: 12h
Apollo standing three-quarters right, within rectangular border, holding bow and arrow,
quiver on back, Greek legend around:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / KAI ΦIΛOΠATOPOΣ
/ AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY
Tripod, within rectangular border, monogram at right,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 426a, Bop 16B
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Apollodotus II, AE di-chalkon or double unit
Weight: 4.72 gm. Dimensions: 18 x 19 mm. Die axis: 12h
Apollo standing three-quarters right, holding bow and arrow,
quiver on back, Greek legend around:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩ / THPOΣ KAI / ΦIΛOΠATOPOΣ
/ AΠOΛΛOΔOTOY
Tripod, monogram at right,
Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / apaladatasa
Reference: MIG 427a, Bop 17A
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Apollodotus II, AE chalkous or single unit
Weight: 2.31 gm. Dimensions: 15 x 14 mm. Die axis: 12h
Humped bull standing right, within rectangular border
Tripod, within rectangular border
Reference: MIG 205, Bop 19A
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Mitchiner had incorrectly assigned this type to Apollodotus I. |
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Apollodotus II, AE chalkous or single unit
Weight: 1.59 gm. Dimensions: 14 x 16 mm. Die axis: 12h
Humped bull standing right, within rectangular border
Tripod, within rectangular border
Reference: MIG 205, Bop 19A
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Apollodotus II, AE hemi-chalkous or half unit
Weight: 1.16 gm. Dimensions: 15 x 14 mm. Die axis: 12h
Humped bull standing right, within rectangular border
Bow and arrow, within rectangular border
Reference: MIG ---, Bop ---
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This unpublished type can be assigned to Apollodotus II because of its fabric and the presence
of the obverse bull. Because of its low weight, it seems plausible to suppose that it might have been intended as a hemi-chalkous or half unit. |
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