The Kushanas find mention in the Puranic and epic literature. Coins and inscriptions provide information about two dynasties of the Kushanas. Literary sources include Asvaghosha’s Buddha Charita, Saudarananda Kavya, Sariputra Prakarana and, Vajrasuchi Kalhana’s Rajatarangini and the accounts of Hsuan Tsang.
The early Kushana kings issued numerous gold coins with a very high degree of purity. The gold coins are found mainly west of the Indus. The coins of Kanishka and Huvishka have a varied reverse as compared to the single-face feature of the coins of Kadphises II.
Unlike the earlier coins bearing marks only on one side, the coins of Kanishka and Huvishka bore impressions on both sides. A large number of their gold and copper coins bear on the reverse side the figures of Zoroastrian, Indian (Buddhist and Brahmanical), and Greek gods.
They do not appear to have issued silver coins. The Indian god featured on Kanishka’s coins is Shiva and there is also the image of Buddha.