Kushan, Vasu Deva II., 310-330, AV-Stater

Kushan, Vasu Deva II, 310-330, AV Stater

Obv.: King with trident in front of altar with trident

Rev.: Shiva standing, holding trident, behind bull

Are you a fan of the forgotten? Then you can't miss this AV Stater of the Kushan ruler Vasu Deva II! Never heard of this king?  No wonder, because this coin is the only proof of his existence.

Historical

The Kushan Empire stretched from the Aral Sea to the Bay of Bengal. It was one of the largest dominions of late antiquity, but existed for only about 200 years and is therefore largely unknown, although its rulers also came into contact with Alexander the Great. Since the Greek alphabet was used in the conquered Bactria, the Kushan adopted the characters. This is also reflected in the coinage, which shows Hellenistic features with Greek script and ruler figures in the style of Alexander.
Vasu Deva II was probably one of the last local rulers in the Taxila area of the Eastern Kushan Empire. The only evidence of his existence are the gold coins minted by him.