Journey of the Magi – Silver Tetradrachm of Azes II
This album features an authentic silver tetradrachm of King Azes II (c. 35 BC – AD 5), ruler of the Indo-Scythian kingdom that flourished in what is now modern Afghanistan and northern India.
Historical Significance:
Azes II is often connected to the biblical Magi, the wise men who journeyed from the East to Bethlehem to honor the newborn Christ. Scholars have speculated that coins of Azes II may have been carried along the trade routes that linked the East to the Near East, making him a possible contemporary candidate for the legendary “Kings of the East.”
The coinage of Azes II blends Greek and Indian traditions: the obverse depicts the mounted king on horseback, while the reverse often features Hellenistic deities rendered with Indian artistic influence, accompanied by bilingual inscriptions in Greek and Kharosthi script. These coins are tangible evidence of the cultural fusion that characterized the Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian frontier kingdoms.
This silver tetradrachm offers both a numismatic treasure and a spiritual connection—a relic of the Eastern kings whose legacy echoes in the Nativity story, and a striking symbol of the cultural crossroads where Greek, Indian, and Central Asian worlds converged.
Journey of the Magi – Silver Tetradrachm of Azes II
This album features an authentic silver tetradrachm of King Azes II (c. 35 BC – AD 5), ruler of the Indo-Scythian kingdom that flourished in what is now modern Afghanistan and northern India.
Historical Significance:
Azes II is often connected to the biblical Magi, the wise men who journeyed from the East to Bethlehem to honor the newborn Christ. Scholars have speculated that coins of Azes II may have been carried along the trade routes that linked the East to the Near East, making him a possible contemporary candidate for the legendary “Kings of the East.”
The coinage of Azes II blends Greek and Indian traditions: the obverse depicts the mounted king on horseback, while the reverse often features Hellenistic deities rendered with Indian artistic influence, accompanied by bilingual inscriptions in Greek and Kharosthi script. These coins are tangible evidence of the cultural fusion that characterized the Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian frontier kingdoms.
This silver tetradrachm offers both a numismatic treasure and a spiritual connection—a relic of the Eastern kings whose legacy echoes in the Nativity story, and a striking symbol of the cultural crossroads where Greek, Indian, and Central Asian worlds converged.
