Tetradrachm Coin of Demetrios I (200–190 BCE): Art, History and Details

Tetradrachm Coin of Demetrios I (200–190 BCE) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the 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.

Object facts

• Title: Tetradrachm Coin of Demetrios I
• Date: 200–190 BCE
• Culture: Afghanistan, Bactria, Indo-Greek
• Type: Coins
• Technique: silver
• Dimensions: Diameter: 3.3 cm (1 5/16 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art - Kushan, Gandhara
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 1999.318

Collection credit

John L. Severance Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.