Although only a small part of the coinage of the Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kings, the gold coins they struck have played an important role in historical reconstructions of the period, not least the unique 20 stater coin of Eucratides I (apparently the largest precious metal coin produced in Antiquity) and octadrachm of Euthydemus I. Both these unique objects have recently been the subject of LA-ICP-MS analysis along with all the other gold coins of the Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kingdoms in the collection of the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The results of this analysis will be presented in this paper with comparisons to previous analyses of Achaemenid, Hellenistic, and Kushan gold, allowing important conclusions for the stock of metal used in these kingdoms and our understanding of their history.
