The Trilingual Nahapana Kshaharata AR Karashapana

50-75 AD? 130AD As Governor 50-95AD? As Emperor 95-100AD?

Nahapana as Emperor
Kshaharatas of Saurashtra
AR Karshapana 16 mm x 1.85 g
ref:Bop. 139, #3, M1253

Nahapana is one of the most fascinating rulers I have come across, while collecting the non-classical civilizations. These particular bust style coins are interesting in that it maybe the immediate proto-type style for the successor empires for the next 600 or so years.
Nahapana coinage its self is rather short lived. Many of his coins were overstruck by the Satavahanas, from Central India. The territorial expanse of this obscure dynasty grew to include large swaths of North / West coastal India He was said to be killed in the 18 year of his reign. Through an unknown relationship with Chastana a successor?, son by marriage?,a general?) The Satavahanas were subjugated and The long standing Western Kshatrapas ruled western India for nearly 400 years, until the rise of the Gupta Empire in the late 4th early 5th century AD.

The coin is of about 92-94% silver purity 2.00 grams and 15-18 mm in diameter. The coin features The bust of Nahapana right with a visible collar and wearing a satrapal cap. Surrounded by broken corrupt Greek legend. PANNIW SAHARATAC NAHAOANC, the reverse features an arrow pointing downwards to the left and a thunderbolt between, with two inscriptions. One is Brahmi RaJnoKsattaRataSa NaHa RaTaSa and the other is Kharoshti RANO KSAHARATASA NATHAPATASA.(The Raja Nahapana Kshaharata). The coin really is a blending of coin types most similar to the Indo-Greek King Apollodotos II.

His coins were circulated until about 130 AD with several bust styles and it is thought that the extreme scarcity of Roman silver in India could be related to his coins. It has been postulated that Roman silver coins were melted down and re-coined in the likeness of Nahapana.