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Coin of Demetrios, I (obverse)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Demetrios I (222–180 BC) ruled the Indo-Greek kingdom of Bactria from 200 to 180 BC and minted this coin to commemorate his conquests over territories to the south, in present-day Pakistan. He linked his image on his coin to Alexander of Macedon (356–323 BC), who depicted himself with a lion scalp after his conquest of India; Demetrios substituted an elephant for the lion. On the reverse is Hercules, also identified with Alexander.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineCoin of Demetrios, I (obverse), 200–190 BCE. Afghanistan, Greco-Bactria, Demetrios I (c. 200–180 BCE). Silver; diameter: 3.3 cm (1 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1999.318.a
