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Rudradāman was a powerful ruler who apparently expanded the Western Kshatrapa realm considerably. We have
inscriptions naming him as mahakshatrapa dated 52 (=130 CE) and 72 (=150 CE). So we know he ruled at least 20 years, and probably longer.
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Rudradāman |
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Rudradāman, silver drachm
c. 130-160 CE, "mint A"
Head of king right, blundered Greek legend around /
Chaitya (3-arched hill), river below, crescent moon and sun above, Brahmi legend around
Rajno Kshatrapasa Jayadamasaputrasa Rajno Mahakshatrapasa Rudradamasa
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Rudradāman's coins carry two different legends, one in which the patronymic is Jayadamasaputrasa as on this coin (legend A) and one in which the letter sa is dropped and
the patronymic reads Jayadamaputrasa (legend B). I have argued in a recent paper, to be published in
Numismatic Digest that the two legends probably reflect the fact that the coins were made in two or more mints where two different conventions were followed. This coin
is from "mint A," which was probably the main mint. |
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Rudradāman, silver drachm
c. 130-160 CE, "mint A"
Head of king right, blundered Greek legend around /
Chaitya (3-arched hill), river below, crescent moon and sun above, Brahmi legend around
Rajno Kshatrapasa Jayadamasaputrasa Rajno Mahakshatrapasa Rudradamasa
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Rudradāman, silver drachm
c. 130-160 CE, "mint B"
Head of king right, blundered Greek legend around /
Chaitya (3-arched hill), river below, crescent moon and sun above, Brahmi legend around
Rajno Kshatrapasa Jayadamaputrasa Rajno Mahakshatrapasa Rudradamasa
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This and the next coin are from "mint B." Note that, apart from the difference in legend, there are noticeable differences
in style. To my eye, the coins of mint B have a finer style. The portraits look very different, and so does the chaitya on the reverse. The chaitya on the mint A
coins has hills that are more rounded and they have pellets inside them, while the mint B hills are "flatter" and have no pellets. |
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Rudradāman, silver drachm
c. 130-160 CE, "mint B"
Head of king right, blundered Greek legend around /
Chaitya (3-arched hill), river below, crescent moon and sun above, Brahmi legend around
Rajno Kshatrapasa Jayadamaputrasa Rajno Mahakshatrapasa Rudradamasa
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