Rival Celators in Vima’s Mint?

Sale: Triton XI, Lot: 369. Estimate $30000.  Closing Date: Monday, 7 January 2008.  Sold For $24000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

INDIA, Kushan Empire. Vima Kadphises. Circa AD 100-127/8. Lot of two AV Dinars (coin a: 7.90 g; 12h // coin b: 8.00 g; 12h). Both coins: Mint A. 1st emission. BACILEYC OOHMO KADFICHC, diademed and crowned half-length bust of Vima Kadphises right on clouds, holding in right hand a mace-scepter over his shoulder; flames at shoulders, tamgha to left / “maharajasa rajadirajasa trarvaloga iśvarasa mahiśvarasa hima kathphśasa tradara” in Karosthi, ithyphallic Siva standing facing, holding trident in right hand, left arm resting on the bull Nandi, who stands right behind; Buddhist Triratana (“Three Jewels”) to left. MK 2 (O1/R2); Donum Burns -. Coin a: VF // Coin b: Near EF. Extremely rare, the second and third known of this type.

Göbl’s Type 2 was previously known from only a single example in the British Museum. The present two coins are both from the same dies as the British Museum example; coin B shows the same obverse die state as the British Museum specimen, but coin A is surprisingly from an earlier obverse die state with a quite different portrait. It is clear that coin A is from the same obverse die, for the details of the legend and the characteristic die flaws match precisely. However, the portrait on coin A is very different: it shows a smaller and less attractive head of the king, with his nose prominently hooked, his eye narrow, and his lip turned down at the corner. The die was later reworked, with the portrait re-engraved to enlarge the head, increase the relief, and present a more sculptural and idealized portrait, seen in coin B and the British Museum example.

We can only speculate on the precise circumstances, but the inference seems inescapable that the king, having just instituted the first Kushan gold coinage, recognized the power of imagery on his coinage and moved quickly to replace the first unflattering portrait with a more appropriate representation of his eminence.