Pantaleon
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Silver tetradrachm of
Pantaleon (Very rare).
Obv: Bust of king Pantaleon with
diadem.
Rev: Zeus seated on a throne, with scepter in left hand and, on extended right hand, a statue of
Hecate holding two torches. Greek legend: BASILEOS PANTALEONTOS "King Pantaleon".
Cupro-nickel coin of king
Pantaleon.
Obv: Bust of
Dionysos with a wreath of leaves.
Rev: Panther with a small bell around the neck, touching a
vine with the left leg. Greek legend: BASILEOS PANTALEONTOS "King Pantaleon".
Bilingual Indian-standard coin of Pantaleon.
Obv: Dancing
Lakshmi with legend in
Brahmi: RAJANE PAMTALEVASA "King Pantaleon".
Rev: Buddhist lion, with legend in Greek BASILEOS PANTALEONTOS "King Pantaleon".
- See also the Christian Saint Pantaleon.
Pantaleon reigned some time between
190 BCE -
180 BCE and is one of the most enigmatic of the Greek kings in Bactria and India. He was a younger contemporary or successor of the
Greco-Bactrian king
Demetrius, and is sometimes believed to have been his brother and/or subking. He was the first Greek king to strike Indian coins, peculiar irregular bronzes which suggests he had his base in
Arachosia and
Gandhara and wanted support from the native population.
The limited size of his coinage indicates a short reign. Known evidence suggests that he was replaced by his (probable) brother or son
Agathocles, by whom he was commemorated on a "pedigree" coin. Some of his coins (as well as those of Agathocles and
Euthydemus II) have another surprising characteristic: they are made of copper-nickel alloy, a technology that would not be developed in the West until the
18th century, but was known by the Chinese at the time. This suggests that exchanges of the metallic alloy or technicians happened between China and the region of Bactria.
External links
- [Coins of Pantaleon]
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