XI.-NOTICES OF ANCIENT HINDU COINS. (Continued.)

(plate xxiv.-HINDU COINS OF MID AGE.)

To whatever period it may be finally determined to adjudge the series of Gupta coins described in my last paper, there can be no hesitation in regard to the first group of the present plate; though here again, had it not been for inscriptions relating to the same period, the absence of credible history would have left us as much in the dark as ever.

These coins are found, like the former, in greatest abundance in the vicinity of Kanauj. Ten of them were picked out of a remittance from the Cawnpur Treasury. The Asiatic Society possesses some found at Allahábád by Dr. Tytler; I have several from Azimgarh and other places, besides four of gold in Karámat 'Ali's collection from the Panjáb; Col. Smith, Dr. Swiney, and Lieut. Cunningham, also possess specimens, and I have examined those in Col. Willoughby's cabinet; but the most plentiful supply-of gold, silver, and copper-exists in Col. Stacy's cabinet, whence I have selected most of the specimens now engraved.

It is rather singular that no mention of a species of coin comparatively so common, is to be found in Marsden's 'Numismata Orientalia.' The only published drawings of them are, I believe, those accompanying

Wilson's notice in the Asiatic Researches,' vol. xvii., which were taken from coins in his and my own cabinets. This gentleman was the first to attribute them to their rightful place in history, although he had but one wellascertained name (Govinda Chandra) to guide his judgment. Upon a careful examination of the several collections mentioned above, I have now succeeded in adding five new names to his list, so rapid is the progress and success of the efforts now directed to this line of research.

The figure on the obverse of all these coins is of precisely the same character;-a rudely-executed front view of a male or female (it is difficult to say which), seated in the native fashion, with a glory round the head, and some incomprehensible objects in her hands. Wilson names her Lakshmí, on the ground that the princes of the Rahtor dynasty were of the Vaishnava sect. In this case, we may recognise in her the female holding the cornucopia of the former Kanauj group, sadly altered for the worse in point of execution.

The inscriptions on the reverse are, with one exception, easily legible; they are in a much more modern style of Devanagarí than the last, differing little from the present form, except as to the vowel inflection e, which falls behind the consonant to which it is attached, as in the Gaur or Bengálí alphabet. The same remark applies to the letter j (fig. 8), which assimilates to the Bengálí and Tibetan forms, and serves admirably to shew the transition of this letter from its original shape in the most ancient alphabet, where it closely resembles the Roman E, to its present modified form, .

The figures in my plate are not placed with any regard to chronological order, but rather according to their comparative frequency of occurrence: figs. 1 and 2 being by far the most numerous of the set.

On fig. 1, we make out the words || Sri mad Jádjeya deva. This variety is comparatively common in gold. Lieut. Cunningham has one of silver.

On fig. 2, the most common of the class, are the very distinct words श्री मनोविदचद्रदेव below the letters वि and च are dots, which supply the place of the n or anusvára, so that the full reading should doubtless be श्री मद् गोविन्द चन्द्रदेव, Sri mad Govinda Chandra-deva. The gold of some specimens of this variety is of inferior quality.

Fig. 3 is the one I have noted as being difficult to decypher. I have as yet only found one of the sort; it is of Col. Stacy's cabinet. The letters visible are श्री मद्रा महवेचे णम, Sri mad Ráma have che nam. The v may possibly be an r, making the reading Ráma Hari; but we must wait the discovery of duplicates before we can complete or rectify this uncertain name.

Fig. 4 (Karámat 'Alí) is more easily legible,

Srí mat Kumara Pála deva.

a ŝa

Fig. 6, from the same collection, is a small coin of the same prince. Fig. 5 is equally distinct

qa za Sri man Mahí Pála

deva. It is from a single coin in Col. Stacy's collection.

Figs. 7 and 8 (Stacy), one of copper, the other of silver, help to decypher one another. The complete legend is श्री अजय देव Sri Ajaya deva.

Lieut. Cunningham has sent me an impression of a copper coin of the same class, on which the name appears to be t मदल मी देवprobably Sri mad Lakshmi (Pála or Chandra?) deva.

[I have examined the now somewhat comprehensive series of this class of money in the British Museum and East India House collections, with a view to confirm and extend Prinsep's readings from the limited number of specimens submitted to his scrutiny. I may summarize the results as follows:

No. 1. श्री मद्नाङ्गेय देवः

In this case I must confess that the new rendering is nearly as open to objection as the original transcript. However, I am forced, for consistency's sake, to reject the previous assignment of

the compound suffix as, when a seemingly identical form is made to do duty in No. 3 for ; even if the palæographic necessities did not otherwise imperatively demand the concession! (See also 'Ariana Antiqua,' xx. 23.)

(Also Ariana Antiqua,' xx. 22.)

(3) श्री महमद वेने साम ॥

(Also Ariana Antiqua,' xxi. 25.)

This type of Muhammad bin Sám's local coins is comparatively rare. There are five specimens in the East India House.

( 4 and 6) श्री मत्कुमर पाल देव ॥

(Also Ariana Antiqua,' xx. 24.)

There are no less than sixteen of these coins in the East India House.

I have no new specimens of No. 5, wherewith to check the first decipherment.

In addition to the above, I may cite a sufficiently common coin, hitherto unpublished, bearing the epigraph of

श्री मत्पृथ्वी देव

as well as the following variety of Muhammad bin Sám's mintages, of which there are no less than twenty-one examples in the East India Company's cabinet.

श्री हमीर महमद साम

(See also 'Ariana Antiqua,' xx. 25, 26.) No. 27 of Ariana Antiqua,' xx., is proved by the original coin to bear the same inscription.]

It was, as I have said above, the occurrence of the name of Govinda Chandra-deva which led Mr. Wilson to ascribe this group to the Rahtor princes of Kanauj, who held the sceptre of that ancient city for a century prior to the overthrow of their last and best known Rája, Jychand (Jaya-Chandra), by Shaháb-ud-dín. One of