Menander I, 155-130 BC, Drachm

Menander I, drachm, AR, 155–130 BC, uncertain mint, 2.48 g, 16 mm. Obverse with Greek legend BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ MENANΔPOY naming Menander as “Saviour King,” surrounding the customary royal portrait type of this reign. Reverse with Kharoshthi legend Maharajasa tratarasa Menamdrasa (“Great King, Saviour, Menander”), the bilingual titulature arranged in the standard Indo-Greek format. Lightly struck in parts, as typical for the series, with even wear and clear legends suitable for attribution. Mitchiner Type 2, 218b.

Menander I was one of the most prominent Indo-Greek rulers, and his bilingual coinage documents the administrative and cultural interface between Hellenistic and northwestern South Asian traditions. The pairing of Greek and Kharoshthi inscriptions reflects circulation across multilingual populations and is a primary historical source for royal titles, political geography, and the integration of Greek monetary practice into the post-Mauryan economy of the region.