Which Kushan emperor was the first to issue gold coins in India?

Vima Kadphises was the first Kushan emperor to issue gold coins in India.

He ruled during the early second century CE and expanded Kushan power across parts of Afghanistan and northwestern India. His gold coinage marked an important change from the copper and silver issues used by earlier Kushan rulers. The coins often followed a weight standard of roughly eight grams, reflecting the Kushans’ participation in long-distance trade.

Vima’s gold pieces commonly showed the ruler on one side and religious imagery on the other, including figures identified with Shiva or related symbols. Their legends used Greek script, although the language was increasingly adapted to the Kushan political world.

The coinage also reveals the empire’s commercial strength. The Kushans controlled routes connecting China, Central Asia, India, and the Mediterranean. Roman gold has often been proposed as the source of the bullion, but later metallurgical research has challenged a simple Roman-origin explanation. Vima’s son, Kanishka I, inherited this prosperous monetary system.