The Sophytes Coins: From the Punjab to Bactria and Back Again

This article focuses on coins inscribed with the name 'ΣΩΦΥΤΟΥ' that have been found in northwest South Asia. In contrast to all earlier studies of these coins, which relied on only a handful of coins, this article presents a detailed study of eighty-two Sophytes coins, in various denominations, representing the largest dataset so far assembled of this coinage. The iconography and weight standard are analysed, and a die study is made. On the basis of this analysis coupled with the available historical sources, I argue that the coins were minted under the authority of Sophytes, a ruler in the Punjab whom Graeco-Roman sources associate with Alexander the Great.