Rare silver drachm, Vijayasena (238-250 AD) as Satrap, 160 SE (238 AD), Indo-Scythian Western Satraps, India

Bust of Vijayasena, with corrupted Greek legend (Indo-Greek style), date in Brahmi numerals behind (160 Saka Era = 238 AD) / Three-arched hill or Chaitya, with river, crescent and sun, within legend in Brahmi Rajno Mahaksatrapasa Damasenasaputrasa Rajnah ksatrapasa Vijayasanasa. 14mm, 2.12 grams. "Mint A". "Studies in the Coinage of Western Kshatrapas" #472-478; Fishman #23.1.160.

Rare coin of Vijayasena as a junior Satrap (Heir Apparent) - he served as such for less then two years (238-239 CE).

The coins of Ksatrapas are important since they are mostly dated - the dates helped to clarify the early history of India. Coins with clear dates, such as this coin are rare - on most specimens the date is struck off flan.The Western Kshatrapas, or Western Satraps, (35-405 CE) were Saka rulers of the western and central part of India (Saurashtra and Malwa: modern Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states). They were contemporaneous with the Kushans who ruled the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, and the Satavahana (Andhra) who ruled in Central India.