Kushan
Copper - Dracham

A small copper Drachm of Kushan with a horseman found in Katharagama in Ruhuna, Lanka.

SPECIFICATIONS
DenominationDrachm
AlloyCopper
TypeStruck ?
Diameter12.0 mm
Thickness3.0 mm
Weight1.99 gms
Shaperound
Edgeplain
DieAxis
kushan_dracham_cu_im_obverse kushan_dracham_cu_im_reverse
Obverse : Crude silhouette of bust of king facing right, holding scepter in dotted circle.
Reverse : King seated on standing horse facing right with 3 pronged tamgha in front.

Does the crude style of this coin imply it's a contemporary imitation ? Please see details in higher grade original Kushan Dracham coin also found in Akurugoda, of practically same size and weight but struck from a finer die.

Katharagama in Ruhuna, Lanka is an ancient site of Hindu worship that has attracted pilgrims from distant lands. These coins are found when panning for gems in the Manik ganga which is a river that flows through Katharagama.

The good grade coin was scanned at 600 dpi and displayed at 500 dpi. It was obtained in 2001 December from Mr A. Ratnayaka a collector in Katharagama, Lanka.