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The Coin Galleries: Indo-Greeks: Hippostratos (c. 65-55 BCE)

Hippostratos (also spelled Hippostratus) must have ruled in the Punjab shortly after Maues, as he used some of the mongrams initiated by that king. He may have regained parts of Punjab from him. He was the last Indo-Greek king to issue tetradrachms. Several photos below, courtesy CNG.

     
Hippostratos

Hippostratos, Silver tetradrachm
Weight: 9.40 gm. Diameter: 29 mm. Die axis: 12h
Bare-headed, diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the saviour)
Tyche standing left, holding cornucopia and conferring blessing with right hand,
     monogram at left and Kharoshthi letter a at right,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 439a, Bop 1A

Hippostratos, Silver drachm
Weight: 2.34 gm. Diameter: 19 mm. Die axis: 12h
Bare-headed, diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the saviour)
Tyche standing left, holding cornucopia and conferring blessing with right hand,
     monogram at left and Kharoshthi letter a at right,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 440a, Bop 2A

Hippostratos, Silver tetradrachm
Weight: 9.04 gm. Diameter: 29 mm. Die axis: 12h
Bare-headed, diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the saviour)
King mounted on prancing horse right, monogram below,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa jayamtasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 441a, Bop 3A
This coin sold on Sept 14, 2011 for $3,450.
This coin changes the reverse design and also adds the word jayamtasa to the Kharoshthi legend, a change not matched in the Greek legend.

Hippostratos, Silver tetradrachm
Weight: 9.19 gm. Diameter: 32 mm. Die axis: 12h
Bare-headed, diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ MEΓAΛOY ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Megalou Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the great, the saviour)
King mounted on prancing horse right, monogram below,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa mahatasa jayamtasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 443a, Bop 5K
On this coin, both the Greek and Kharoshthi legends are lengthened by the addition of the word "great": MEΓAΛOY and mahatasa, although in different order in the two legends.

Hippostratos, Silver tetradrachm
Weight: 9.83 gm. Diameter: 30 mm. Die axis: 12h
Bare-headed, diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the saviour)
King mounted on prancing horse right, monogram below,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa mahatasa jayamtasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG ---, Bop ---
This unpublished type either combines the previous two types or is a mule, as it has the short Greek legend but the long Kharoshthi legend..

Hippostratos, Silver tetradrachm
Weight: 9.13 gm. Diameter: 29 mm. Die axis: 1h
Bare-headed, diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ MEΓAΛOY ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Megalou Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the great, the saviour)
King mounted on horse walking right, monogram at right, Kharoshthi letters left and below,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa mahatasa jayamtasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 445 var, Bop 7 var
Here the horse on the reverse is walking, not prancing. Neither Mitchiner nor Bopearachchi list coins with this particular Kharoshthi letter below the horse.

Hippostratos, AE obol or octuple
Weight: 15.86 gm. Diameter: 27 mm. Die axis: 1h
Apollo standing right, holding arrow, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the saviour)
Tripod, monograms on either side,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 447b, Bop 8A

Hippostratos, AE obol or octuple
Weight: 16.34 gm. Diameter: 27 mm. Die axis: 2h
Apollo standing right, holding arrow, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the saviour)
Tripod, monograms on either side,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratarasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 447b, Bop 8A

Hippostratos, AE hemi-obol or quaduple unit
Weight: 8.49 gm. Dimensions: 24 x 22 mm. Die axis: 12h
Apollo standing right, holding arrow, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the saviour)
Tripod, monograms on either side,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 448a, Bop 9A

Hippostratos, AE 6-chalkoi or sextuple unit
Weight: 11.71 gm. Dimensions: 26 x 26 mm. Die axis: 12h
Zeus-Mithra enthroned three-quarters left, holding sceptre in left arm,
     and bestowing wreath with out-stretched right hand, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the saviour)
Horse standing left, monogram at left, all within dotted border,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa trata / rasa jayamtasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 449a, Bop 10A
The deity on the reverse of this coin is normally identified as Zeus, but the presence of the prominent radiate nimbus around his head indicates that a merger with Mithra is intended.

Hippostratos, AE tri-chalkon or triple unit
Weight: 6.15 gm. Dimensions: 21 x 21 mm. Die axis: 12h
Zeus-Mithra enthroned three-quarters left, holding sceptre in left arm,
     and bestowing wreath with out-stretched right hand, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the saviour)
Horse standing left, monogram at left, all within dotted border,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa trata / rasa jayamtasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 450a, Bop 11A

Hippostratos, AE obol or octuple unit
Weight: 18.03 gm. Dimensions: 23 x 27 mm. Die axis: 12h
Anguiped facing, holding dolphin and rudder, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the saviour)
City goddess standing left, holding palm and conferring blessing,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 446a, Bop 12A
The anguiped, a marine deity with snake-like leg endings, was also featured on the coins of Telephos.

Hippostratos, AE obol or octuple unit
Weight: 15.19 gm. Dimensions: 28 x 28 mm. Die axis: 12h
Anguiped facing, holding dolphin and rudder, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
     (Basileos Soteros Hippostratou ... of King Hippostratos, the saviour)
City goddess standing left, holding palm and conferring blessing,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa / tratarasa / hipustratasa
Reference: MIG 446a, Bop 12A

imitation Hippostratos, AE tri-chalkon
Weight: 6.07 gm. Diameter: 24 mm. Die axis: 12h
Bare-headed, diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around:
     BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / IΠΠOΣTPATOY
King mounted on prancing horse right,
     Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa tratasa / apustrasatarasa (sic!)
Reference: MIG ---, Bop ---
This coin, with its unusual weight and blundered Kharoshthi legend, appears to be an imitation coin of some kind.
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