Kushan Gold Stater or Dinar of Kanishka I
Possibly fake.
Specifications
Coin | Diameter | Alloy | Weight | Description
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Gold Stater of Kanishka I | 19.7 - 20.5 | Gold | 7.95 | King sacrificing at altar, Indo-Greek Inscriptions, reverse moon god deity, standing left, extending right hand over a tamgha (seal or brand).
legend MAO
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Notes
Diameter = millimetres
Weight = Grams
Description
We are still working on a full identification of this coin, particularly whether it is genuine or fake.
From a comment that the coin looks Indo-Kushan, we looked at a few Indo-Kushan coins on various websites, and found helpful clues.
First, the letter "P" is probably a Bactrian Greek letter "san", and not a Greek "rho".
This gives us an obverse legend:
SHAONANOSHAO KANISHKI KOSHANO
which translates as:
King of Kings, Kanishka the Kushan
Kanishka (Kushan language: KANH̃KI, Ancient Chinese?) was a king of the Kushan Empire in South Asia, in the 2nd century of the common era, famous for his military, political, and spiritual achievements. His capital was in the modern city of Peshawar in Pakistan.
Kanishka standing, clad in heavy Kushan coat and long boots, flames emanating from shoulders, holding spear (standard) in his left hand, and making a sacrifice over an altar. Kushan-language legend in Greek script (with the addition of the Kushan ̃ "sh" letter): ̃AONANÕAO KANH̃KI KÕANO ("Shaonanoshao Kanishki Koshano")
Reverse
Moon god MAO, the moon god "Ma". with crescent horns.
One obvious consideration is whether this coin is genuine, we have already had one opinion that it looks to be a fake.
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Obverse of Kushan Gold Stater
Countries

Reverse of Kushan Gold Stater
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