Ancient Greek Coin Becomes Symbol for Afghanistan’s Central Bank
When you think about Alexander the Great, it’s easy to picture his conquests stretching from present-day Afghanistan to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. His military commanders even founded the Greek kingdom of Bactria, which lasted around 150 years. Fast forward to today, and while many cities he established are in ruins from centuries of looting and destruction, one remarkable artifact from his era still resonates in Afghanistan: the depiction of ancient Greek Hellenistic coins. These images are featured prominently on the banknotes of Da Afghanistan Bank, the country’s central bank.
Founded in 1939, the seal of Da Afghanistan Bank features the bank’s name in Arabic at the top, while Pashto (one of Afghanistan’s main languages) is presented in Latin at the bottom. An ancient Greek phrase “ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΕΥΚΡΑΤΙΔΟΥ,” meaning “of the great king Eukratides,” also adorns the seal. Eukratides, notably a Greek king of Bactria in the 2nd century BC, is represented by a silver tetradrachm coin at the center of this emblem. The intention was to use the coin to enhance Afghanistan’s image as it modernized, marking the bank’s founding as part of broader modernization efforts under King Zahir Shah’s reign from 1933 until 1973.
You know, it’s interesting how Afghanistan aimed to mirror European and “advanced” Islamic nations like Iran and Turkey during this period. This modernization involved embracing a more state-oriented identity. Robert D. Crews, in his work on Afghan history, mentions the nation’s efforts to articulate its language and culture—perhaps as a way to assert its place on the world stage. That 2,000-year-old coin could symbolize this progressive yet complicated history in the 1930s.
So, how did Eukratides’ coin make it onto Afghanistan’s central bank seal? Well, tracing back to 1922, King Amanullah Khan, who reigned from 1919 to 1929, established the Afghanistan Archaeological Française (DAFA) with France, which began uncovering significant archaeological finds. By the late 1930s, these discoveries were catching the eye of Afghan leaders, as the National Museum of Afghanistan, relocated in Kabul, started boasting a rich collection from these excavations. Interestingly, even the king himself visited exhibitions showcasing these findings.
Nile Green, an author focused on Afghanistan’s historical identity, notes that by emphasizing connections to its Greek past, Afghanistan sought validation by aligning itself with Western civilization norms. In those times, a state-owned bank symbolized progress, and Greek-inscribed coins were seen as badges of modernity.
Interestingly, it wasn’t until 1979, under President Barbak Karmal’s communist government, that the Eukratides coin appeared on banknotes, replacing previous Islamic motifs. This change marked a significant transformation, particularly as the country was shifting politically and ideologically. Now, after the Taliban returned in 2021, much of the country risks reverting to an earlier state, yet the Eukratides coin persists as a symbol of an era gone by, remaining in its place on the central bank’s seal for over 80 years.
