Persian Treasury
Ruler

Coinage of Euthydemus I

1 catalogued issue of Euthydemus I — metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions with references.

In short

Euthydemus I (c. 230–200 BCE) held Bactria against Antiochus III's two-year siege of Bactra and won recognition as king — and his portrait is among the most powerful in ancient coinage. Euthydemus I issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 200 BCE – 230 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Bactra.

Catalogued
1
Eras
1
Metals
1
Denominations
2

Key facts

Key facts about Euthydemus I in the Persian Treasury catalogue
Catalogued pieces1
Date range200 BCE – 230 CE
Eras representedSeleucid Persia
MetalsSilver
DenominationsDrachm, Tetradrachm
MintsBactra
Reignc. 230–200 BCE
Siege of BactraTwo years, by Antiochus III
Reverse typeHeracles seated on rocks
AfterlifeImitated by Sogdian issuers for centuries

The siege and the settlement

Antiochus III besieged Euthydemus at Bactra for two years before negotiating. Euthydemus argued that destroying him would open the frontier to nomads, and the Seleucid king accepted, recognising his kingship and marrying his son to a Seleucid princess.

It is one of antiquity's clearest examples of a settlement reached because both sides understood the strategic geography better than the war rhetoric allowed.

The portrait

Euthydemus's tetradrachms show a heavy, ageing, unflattered face — jowls, creased brow, hard stare — with a seated Heracles reverse. Nothing in Hellenistic portraiture is more frankly individual.

The type was imitated for centuries by Sogdian issuers, producing progressively cruder copies that are themselves a collecting field.

Seleucid Persia · 312 – 141 BCE

Era overview →

Greco-Bactrian Tetradrachm of Euthydemus I

Euthydemus I

c. 230–200 BCE

Withstood a three-year siege by Antiochus III at Bactra. His coinage is the high-water mark of Greco-Bactrian portrait engraving. Image: related Diodotid Bactrian tetradrachm.

Frequently asked about Euthydemus I

Why is Euthydemus's portrait famous?
For its unflinching realism — an ageing, heavy-featured face rendered without idealisation, exceptional even among Greco-Bactrian portraits.
What are Sogdian imitations?
Later Central Asian copies of Euthydemus tetradrachms, progressively cruder over generations, struck long after the original kingdom had fallen.
What coins did Euthydemus I issue?
Euthydemus I issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 200 BCE – 230 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Bactra.
How many Euthydemus I pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
1 item, dated 200 BCE – 230 CE, spread across 1 era: Seleucid Persia.
Which metals were used for Euthydemus I coinage?
Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
Which denominations are associated with Euthydemus I?
Drachm, Tetradrachm. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.
Where were Euthydemus I coins minted?
Recorded mints include Bactra.

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Denominations here

Metals here