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INDIA, Kushan Empire. Kanishka I. Circa AD 127-151. AV Quarter Dinar (14mm, 1.88 g, 12h). Main mint in Baktria (Balkh?). Late phase. ÞαO(retrograde h)α(retrograde h)OÞαO Kα (retrograde h)HÞKI KOÞα(retrograde h), Kanishka, diademed and crowned, standing facing, head left, holding goad and scepter, sacrificing over altar to left; flame at shoulder / BOΔΔO to left, standing Śākyamuni Buddha: Buddha standing facing, hand raised in gesture of abhayamudrā; tamgha to right. Cribb, Buddha 4 (dies c/3) = MK 73 (O35/R2); ANS Kushan –; Donum Burns –; CNG 70, lot 497 (same rev. die); New York Sale XXIII, lot 296 = Skanda Collection (Spink-Taisei 9), lot 18 (same rev. die). Evidence of prior mounting. Near VF. Extremely rare, one of five known (the Skanda specimen was resold in Gorny & Mosch 257 [15 October 2018], lot 551).
Ex Triton XX (10 January 2017), lot 434.
According to Cribb’s study of the coinage, this issue consists of two obverse dies (his gold obverse dies c and d) and one reverse die (his reverse die 3). To date, six specimens (including our coin) are known. They are listed below by Cribb die combinations and include their
publication history.
Cribb dies c/3:
1) MK 73 = Cribb, Buddha 4 = idem, “A re-examination of the Buddha images on the coins of King Kanishka,” in A.K. Narain, ed., Studies of Buddhist Art of South Asia (New Delhi: 1985), p. 60 (coin cited, but not illustrated) = idem, “The origin of the Buddha image – the numismatic image,” in Bridget Allchin, ed., South Asian Archaeology 1981. Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference of the Association of South Asian Archaeologists in Western Europe (Cambridge: 1984), Fig. 30.1, no. 2 = K. Tanabe, “A new gold dinar of Kanishka I with the Buddha image,” Orient: Journal of the Society for Near Eastern Studies in Japan 23 (1987), Fig. 6 = idem, “Kanishka I’s coins with the Buddha image on the reverse and some references to the art of Gandhara,” Orient: Journal of the Society for Near Eastern Studies in Japan 10 (1974), no. III (unillustrated) = B.J. Stavisky, La Bactriane sous les Kushans: problemes d’histoire et de cultures (Paris: 1986), frontispiece no. 13 = G. Fussman, “Monnaie d’or de Kanishka inédite au type du Buddha,” RN 1982, Fig. 1 = R. Curiel Collection (= BN [acquired in 1982]).
2) this coin = Triton XX (10 January 2017), lot 434.
Cribb dies d/3:
1) Hirayama Collection = Cribb, Buddha 5 = K. Tanabe, Silk Road Coins. The Hirayama Collection (Kamakura 1993), 126 (= K. Tanabe, History, Art and Iconography of Silk Road Coins [in Japanese]).
2) Zeno 79082 = Zeno 209797 = New York Sale XXIII, lot 296 = Sammlung eines Geschichtsfreundes (Gorny & Mosch 257, 15 October 2018 = Skanda Collection (Spink-Taisei 9), lot 18 = M.L. Carter, “A consideration of some iconographic details of Buddha images on Kushana coins,” in Amal Kumar Jha and Sanjay Garg, eds., Ex Moneta. Essays in Numismatics in Honour of Dr. David W. MacDowell (New Delhi, 1998), Fig. 1d.
3) Classical Numismatic Group 70 (21 September 2005), lot 497.
4) Triton VII (13 January 2004), lot 701.
Kanishka, a fervent Buddhist, is best remembered today for sponsoring the first great Buddhist conference at Kanish Vihar, that led to the adoption and promotion of Mahayana Buddhism, a school of thought that revered the life of Buddha as much as his spiritual teaching. The great bronze plaques that recorded the conference proceedings have never been found, but we are fortunate to have a report of the conference from the Chinese scholar Hien Tsang. The Buddha coinage was probably struck as a special issue in conjunction with the conference, and the image of Buddha would have made a stunning impact at the time. Buddha had previously only been represented in symbolic form, but under Kanishka the fusion of Greek and Indian culture led to the portrayal of Buddha in human form. Kanishka’s coins were among these first representations and provide the earliest firmly datable images of the Buddha in any artistic medium.
The final winners of all Triton XXVI lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 10-11 January 2023.
Triton XXVI – Session Two – Lot 335-673 will be held Tuesday afternoon, 10 January 2023 beginning at 2:00 PM ET.
Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.
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