This coin, minted in Bactria, imitates the most widely circulated coin of antiquity: the Athenian “owl,” which was copied in many different countries. Numismatists disagree whether this coin was issued before or after Alexander’s foray into India. Considering the wide variety of styles and artistic qualities in which this coin is found, we feel it was quite possible that the coins were issued both before and after Alexander’s presence in Bactria. This coin bears a monogram that was used later by the Seleucids, and therefore may well have been issued by Seleucos I to pay his troops during the period from 323 to 312 BCE, when he was struggling to consolidate his power.