Alexander’s invasion in north-western India did not lead to a substantial Greek presence in India. It came about in the second century BC through the Greek kings of Bactria who moved into North-West India and were called the Indo-Greeks.
The Indo-Greek kings were the first to issue gold coins in India and their coins were special in the sense that each king had his own distinctive coins by which he could be definitely identified.
The names of at least thirty Bactrian kings are known with the help of numerous coins, and they help in the reconstruction of the history of the kings. The coins carry legends in Greek and also in Kharosthi and Brahmi.
The silver coins of the Indo-Greeks were excellent in workmanship, and influenced the coinage of the local rulers.
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The wide area in which the coins were found and their varieties indicate that the Indo-Greeks had many trade contacts. The coins form the main source of information about the rulers.