Abstract Kushan style king standing left; ka in Brahmi to left; to right, jaya and monogram of Kidara in Brahmi  // Abstract Ardoxsho seated facing, holding filleted investiture garland and cornucopia;  śri vinaya in Brahmi down right, ditya in Brahmi to left. 22mm, 6.93 grams, MACW 3656-60; Donum Burns 1613.

A line of Kidarite (Red Huns) kings in Jammu and Kashmir issued gold coins of decreasing fineness in the 5th century AD. Debased gold (about 25% gold, so containing around 2.1 grams of pure gold, 0.07 of ounce of pure gold).

The Kidarites were a Central Asian dynasty of Hunnic or Iranian origin who established control over parts of northern India, including Kashmir, during the 4th and 5th centuries CE. Emerging after the decline of the Kushan Empire, the Kidarites first took over Gandhara and Punjab, and their influence extended into Kashmir, though detailed records of their rule in the region are sparse. They continued many of the Kushan administrative and cultural practices, including issuing coins in Kushan style with subtle changes. The Kidarites played a transitional role in the region’s history, bridging the late Kushan period and the later invasions of the Hephthalites (White Huns). Their presence in Kashmir marked the spread of Central Asian influence and may have contributed to the region’s complex cultural and religious landscape during late antiquity.