Vima Kadphises
Vima Kadphises was a Kushan king who ruled about 90-100 A.D. The Rabatak inscription says that he was the son of Vima Takto and the father of Kanishka I. Vima's grandfather was Kujula Kadphises. During Vima's reign the Kushan empire was quite prosperous. Vima introduced gold coins into the Kushan currency. Kushan coins had all been copper and silver before his reign.
The Kushans acquired a substantial amount of their gold from trading with the Romans. Gold bullion was imported from Rome and used to mint the coins. The Kushans had the weight standard of 8 grams for gold staters. The standard for copper was 16 grams. Kushan coinage had these denominations:
double stater
stater
quarter stater (also called dinara)
The Kushans maintained much of the Silk Road. They also provided security and allowed many commodities to move between India, China, and the West. Many Kushan goods also went to Rome by ship. The Kushans received many things in return, such as gold coins and Greek wine.
Vima added some territory to the Kushan domain by making conquests in Afghanistan and northwest India. The Kushans had a summer capital in Bagram, Afghanistan.
Roman manuscripts tell of visits that Kushan ambassadors made to Rome during the reign of the emperor Trajan. The documents mention gifts and letters in Greek sent by Vima Kadphises and his son Kanishka.
These are examples of coins minted during the reign of Vima Kadphises:
Copper tetradrachm
Obverse: King sacrificing at altar
Reverse: Shiva with Nandi
Gold dinar
Obverse: King emergin from clouds
Reverse: The deity Shiva standing and holding a trident
Neal Robbins
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