page_title: Menander II
section_title: Coins of Menander II
hierarchical_section_title: Menander II / Coins of Menander II
caption_attribution_description: English: Menander II with Nike and seated lion
context_page_description: Menander II Dikaios was an Indo-Greek King who ruled in the areas of Arachosia and Gandhara in the north of modern Pakistan.
context_section_description: The coins of Menander II bear the mention "Menander the Just", and "King of the Dharma" in Kharoshti, suggesting that he adopted the Buddhist faith. Menander II struck only Indian silver. These depict the king in diadem or helmet of the type of Menander I, with a number of reverses:
  a king on horseback, Nike and a sitting Zeus of the type of Antialkidas and Amyntas Nikator, but with an eight-spoked Buddhist wheel instead of the small elephant.
  His bronzes feature Athena standing, with spear and palm-branch, shield at her feet, making a benediction gesture with the right hand, similar to the Buddhist vitarka mudra.  Other varieties feature a king performing the same gesture.
  On the reverse is a lion, symbol of Buddhism, as also seen on the pillars of the Mauryan King Ashoka. In general, the coins of Menander II are quite few, which tends to indicate a rather small rule.
  A contemporary king to represent the Buddhist lion on his coins is the Indo-Scythian king Maues, around 85 BC.
caption: Menander II with Nike making a blessing gesture and seated lion.
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