NEWLY DISCOVERED GOLD COINS OF HUVISHKA FROM DISTRICT KHYBER (PAKISTAN): NUMISMATIC AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSIGHTS

Abstract

This study presents newly documented gold coins of the Kushan emperor Huvishka I (c. 150-190 CE) from multiple provenanced locations in District Khyber, Pakistan. Recovered during systematic doctoral fieldwork, these coins provide rare archaeological context for Huvishka’s gold issues on the empire’s northwestern frontier. The assemblage features Graeco-Egyptian, Iranian, Indian, and syncretic deities, including Serapis, Athsho, Shaoreoro, Nana, Ardoxsho, Oesho, Mao, Mithra, Pharro, and Maaseno, reflecting the religious diversity of his reign. Their distribution across Jamrud, Bara, and the Khyber Pass highlights the region’s role as a key monetary and cultural corridor linking Bactria, Gandhara, and the Peshawar basin.