Vima Kadphises ruler of the Kushan Empire ruled Kushan Empire between 90 CE and 100 CE. He was the son of Vima Takto and the father of the great Kushan ruler Kanishka I. During his rule, Vima Kadphises expanded the territory of the Kushan Empire to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and north-west India.

Vima Kadphises was the devotee of Shiva, therefore the coins issued by Vima Khadphises depict Shiva with Nandi. He is considering as the protector of the silk route to move between China, India, and the West. He was the ruler to introduce a gold coin, due to the favorable trade condition between Rome and the Indian subcontinent.

This copper unit that weighs around 17.2g was issued by Vima Kadphises during his rule. The obverse of this coin depicts ‘King Standing facing to left, sacrificing over the altar with Greek Legend around’. The reverse side of the coin depicts ‘Lord Shiva standing facing, holding trident and diadem in front of Nandi (bull), Triratna symbol in the left field with Kharoshthi legend around’.

Image Courtesy: Todywalla Auction