Extremely Rare Siva Double Dinar

Sale: CNG 81, Lot: 710. Estimate $10000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2009.  Sold For $10000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

INDIA, Kushan Empire. Vima Kadphises. Circa AD 100-127/8. AV 2 Dinars (15.83 g, 12h). Mint I (A). 3rd emission. Half-length bust right on clouds, holding mace-scepter; flames at shoulder, tamgha to left / Ithyphallic Siva standing facing, head right, holding trident and resting arm on bull Nandi behind, who is standing right; Buddhist triratana (“Three Jewels”) to left. Cf. MK 12/11 (O4/R11A [unlisted die combination]); Donum Burns 78. VF. Extremely rare, a die-pairing unknown to Göbl.

The the reverse design of MK 12 shows only a head-left Siva with the obverse bust of Vima right, while the opposite is true for MK 11. This coin die-links MK 12 and MK 11, each of which series Göbl placed at a different officina, indicating that these two series were not struck at separate workshops.