King standing left beside altar, holding trident, Bactrian legend KANhPKI / OKPO, four-armed God Shiva standing left, holding a trident and a wreath, tamgha in the left field. 26mm, 17.78 grams. Mitchiner ACW 3161. Taxila or Pushkalavati issue. MACW #3093ff. SKU T1181-51059

Kanishka I, or Kanishka the Great, an emperor of the Kushan dynasty in the second century (c. 127“152 CE), is famous for his military, political, and spiritual achievements. A descendant of Kujula Kadphises, founder of the Kushan empire, Kanishka came to rule an empire in Bactria extending to Pataliputra on the Gangetic plain. The main capital of his empire was located at Puruṣapura in Gandhara, with another major capital at Kapisa.