to alphabetic characters, and here the letters resemble those of the Láts, or of the Caves in the West of India, the most ancient written form of the Sanskrit language.

[In further illustration of the symbols impressed upon this crude money, I insert copies of some novel emblems that occur on a similar class of primitively-adjusted weights of silver in the collection of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. These specimens of the introductory phase of the moneyer's art seem to have been derived from a different section of the continent of India to those that have hitherto been presented to the public; some of their devices probably shadow forth the emblems of a seaboard kingdom; but the varieties are otherwise interesting as showing that the system of this simply-formed currency was as wide-spread, as its products are proved to have been ample.

M

1

With a view to test the authoritative issue-weight of these'

[This is probably the most fitting place to insert a brief note on ancient Indian weights for gold and silver, condensed from Colebrooke's paper on the subject in the Asiatic Researches.' The lowest division of the Hindú scheme is the trasarenu or vansí defined as a "very small mote which may be discerned in a sun-beam passing

1

either quite smooth, or bearing only a few punch-marks on one or both sides; and generally having a corner cut off, as may be conjectured, for the adjustment of their weight. Many instances of this type have been given in Col. Mackenzie's collection (figs. 101 to 108 of Wilson's plates), who describes them as 'of an irregular form, bearing no inscription, occasionally quite plain, and in any case having only a few indistinct and unintelligible symbols: that of the Sun, or a star is most common; and those of the lingam (?), the crescent, and figures of animals may be traced.' The Colonel's specimens were chiefly procured in South India: others have been dug up in the Sunderbans and many were found at Behat (fig. 14).

But the few selected specimens in Col. Stacy's collection, figs. 25-29) yield more food for speculation than the nearly smooth pieces above alluded to. On all these we perceive the symbol of the Sun to be the faintest of those present: in two instances (figs. 28, 29) it is superposed by symbols which may be hence concluded to be more recent. These are, severally, the Chaitya, the tree, the Swastika, and the human figure; besides which, in fig. 26, we have the elephant, the bull, and the peculiar symbols of figs. 34-37. They are all stamped on at random with punches, and may naturally be interpreted as the insignia of successive dynasties authenticating their currency.

In one only, fig. 30, does there appear any approach

Their average weight is fifty grains, or the same as the tank (=3 máshas) of the ancient Hindú metrology. Indeed the word, a tank-sala, 'mint,' goes far to prove that these are the very pieces fabricated for circulation under that name.

to alphabetic characters, and here the letters resemble those of the Láts, or of the Caves in the West of India, the most ancient written form of the Sanskrit language.

[In further illustration of the symbols impressed upon this crude money, I insert copies of some novel emblems that occur on a similar class of primitively-adjusted weights of silver in the collection of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. These specimens of the introductory phase of the moneyer's art seem to have been derived from a different section of the continent of India to those that have hitherto been presented to the public; some of their devices probably shadow forth the emblems of a seaboard kingdom; but the varieties are otherwise interesting as showing that the system of this simply-formed currency was as wide-spread, as its products are proved to have been ample.

M

茶

With a view to test the authoritative issue-weight of these'

1 [This is probably the most fitting place to insert a brief note on ancient Indian weights for gold and silver, condensed from Colebrooke's paper on the subject in the 'Asiatic Researches.' The lowest division of the Hindú scheme is the trasarenu or vansi defined as a "very small mote which may be discerned in a sun-beam passing

punch-marked pieces of silver, I have examined in detail the extended series of specimens in the British Museum, and selected for trial only those examples that appeared to be un-abraded through a lattice: it is further described by medical writers as comprising 30 paramánu or atoms." 1 liksha, or minute poppy-seed.'

8 trasarenu

3 liksha

·3 rája sher-shapa

6

gaura sher-shapa 3 yava

=

=

1 rája sher-shapa, or black mustard-seed.'
1 gaura sher-shapa, or 'white mustard-seed.'

1 yava, or middle-sized barley-corn.'

1 krishnala, or 'seed of the ganja.'

=

This last is the lowest denomination in general use, and commonly known by the name of ratti, (rattiká) which denotes the red seed, as krishnala indicates the black seed, of the ganja creeper. The jewellers' rati is rated as The ths. of a carat. average, taken from the seeds themselves, according to Sir W. Jones, gives 1 grain and ths. A rattiká is also said to be equal to 4 grains of rice in the husk, and by others is stated to correspond with two large barley-corns. Mr. Colebrooke goes on to remark, " Notwithstanding this apparent uncertainty in the comparison of a seed of the ganja to other productions of nature, the weight of a raktika is well determined by practice, and is the common medium of comparison for other weights."

Weights of gold.

5 krishnalas or raktikás

16 máshas

4 karshas or suvernas

10 palas

Some authorities give 5 suvernas =

2 raktikás

16 máshas

10 dharanas

1 karsha, aksha tolaka, or suverna.
1 pala or nishka.

1 dharana.

1 pala.

Weights of silver.

A karsha, or 80 raktikus, of copper is called a pana or kársha-pana.

Four varieties of máshas are also noticed, three of 5, 4 and 16 raktikás respectively, and a fourth (the masha of silver) consisting of 2 raktikas. The author proceeds to note further modifications of these weights, which need not be cited in detail; but it is important to mark the definition of the dinár, as the term will be found to be employed in some of the ancient inscriptions referred to in the body of this work. "108 suvernas or tolakas of gold are said to constitute an urubhúshana, pala, or dínára."

"Gopala Bhattá also states other weights, without mentioning by what classes they are used. I suspect an error in the statement, because it reduces the masha to a very low denomination, and I suppose it to be the jewellers' weight.

Probably it should be raktikás instead of rájikás, which would nearly correspond with the weights subjoined, giving 24 rettikás for one dharana in both statements. It also corresponds with the Tables in the 'Ayín-i Akberi' (iii., 94,) where a tánk of 24 rettis, fixed at 10 barley-corns to the retti, contains 240 barley-corns; and a másha of 8 rettis, at 74 barley-corns each, contains 60 rettis; consequently, 4 máshas are equal to one tanka, as in the preceding table; and 6 jewellers' rettis are equal to 8 double rettis as used by goldsmiths. The same author (Gopála Bhattá) observes that weights are thus stated in astronomical books:

and un-oxydized; the result of the weighment of ten such samples gives an average of 52.98 grains, the highest total being 54, the lowest 52 grains,-while four specimens out of the ten were exactly balanced at 53 grains. Of the circular, or rounded-off specimens, the average was somewhat lower, but many of these equally came up to the 53 grains; the metal of which they are composed is, however, clearly debased below the standard of their less advanced prototypes.

They take the shape of ths. byths. of an inch, half-an-inch, and are occaUnlike the cognate series,

Next presents itself a series of sections of metal, which may either be of earlier or of later date than the above. They appear more primitive in their crudity of make, but seem more definitively developed in their stamp. mere divisions of a bar of silver, into lengths of something less than sionally rounded off at the ends. they are marked by a single stamp only, which occupies one superficies and represents two connected balls, forming probably such portion of the die, seen in No. 33, as their surfaces were broad enough to receive the impress of. The best specimen of this somewhat rare class weighs 24.5 grains.

And here I would notice a considerable advance in the art of coining, and one that successfully illustrates the independent local progress, reminding us of the parallel incused-square of many of the early Greek medals. In this instance, the square die is driven home upon one surface so as to give the coin a concavo-convex form, while the opposite face remains blank.'

The tale of shells, compared to weight of silver, is quoted as follows from the 'Lilavati: '

1 pana, kárshapana, or kárshika.

1 bherma of silver.

1 nishka of silver.

It may be inferred that one shell is valued at 1 raktiká of copper; one pana of shells at 1 pana of copper; and 64 panas at one tolaka of silver, which is equal in weight to one pana of copper. And it seems remarkable that the comparative value of silver, copper, and shells, is nearly the same at this time (1799) "as it was in the days of Bhaskara."- Asiatic Researches,' v., 91.]

[Though, in some instances, it would almost seem as if it had been designed to produce a crude device on the convex surface, as is common in many of the Greek examples.]