curious series, thinking them to be merely the link coins between the rao nano rao and the early Kanauj series. Among the Manikyála coins was the only silver coin of the set on which I had particularly remarked legible Sanskrit characters; which were of a form and age differing essentially from the Kanauj coin alphabet (so called). But now, through Cunningham's careful scrutiny of all our available collections, I am enabled to produce a host of variable legends, which may be the means of developing by-and-bye a second royal dynasty of some other Indian locality, as successfully as has been the case with the Gupta family. Henceforward my readers should understand, and they will, doubtless, soon perceive the fact, that my coin essays are joint productions, and that I have an auxiliary at my elbow, far better acquainted with the contents of, I may say, all the collections of coins in India, than I have leisure to become. With his zealous aid in hunting out the unpublished varieties of every class, I hope to make these notices complete as far as discovery has yet proceeded, and to do fuller justice to the numerous contributions I continue to receive from my numismatic coadjutors in the interior. That the present class is totally distinct from the last, may be argued on many grounds: those are discovered in greatest quantity at Kanauj, Jaunpur, Gaya, and even occasionally in Bengal:-these are chiefly met with in Upper India, and in the Panjáb. Cautley has sent me one dug up in the foundations of his residence near Saháranpur; Mr. Dean dug up some at Samehana, near Dihlí but the most important fact in their history is the extraction of one of the lowest members of the group from the Manikyála tope by Ventura. Masson's large collection in Afghánistán does not contain one of this type, nor any of the first or Kanauj series. They are, therefore, purely of Indian growth. To Upper India, the Panjab or Kashmir, then, we must turn our view in seeking the nidus whence they issued, and fortunately we have authentic lists of the sovereigns of some of these places to consult. But first, to enumerate the coins: Fig 18. A gold coin (Stacy), weight 120 grs.,' deserves to be mentioned first, because the workmanship is nearest in perfection—in imperfection we might rather say—to the nano rao, or Ardokro original. The legs of the couch, cornucopia, and drapery, are well defined. The rája on the obverse has his 'trident' standard, and his right hand outstretched as over the fire-altar, but the altar is omitted. Under the right hand of the rája, both in this coin and in figs. 16 and 20, occur the letters paşa, either side by side, as in 16, or superposed, as in 20. Under the left arm, which is elevated to hold a spear, is another perpendicular combination of two or three consonants, apparently स क and द with the vowel ए e. The same monogram (or rather polygram) continues through the whole series. I formerly took it for a sword-handle, which it exactly resembles when the lowermost letter is hid. Fig. 20. (Stacy), the next best in execution, has the letters Fig. 19. (Tregear: duplicate, Cunningham), continues the word; Figs. 16 and 17 of my cabinet have the letters Visva.. or Vikha on the former; and . perhaps Visala?) on the latter. ... .... ... fad. Sri Pasala... (or Numerous other specimens in gold might be enumerated, but they generally contain even less satisfactory fragments of names than the above. All that can be 1 The weight of all these coins is nearly the same, being in fact the didrachma of the Greeks. positively asserted is that the letters are Sanskrit, and— on these, at least-of the same alphabet as that we have designated No. 2 of the Allahábád Lát. The silver coins of this second series are much more scarce than the gold and copper ones. The three I possess represented in figs. 1, 2, and 3-appear also to be of a very debased standard, and to belong to a much later period. None of them retain more than the rudest semblance of the rája figure, and still less of the goddess: the latter has even been taken for a dagger, the former for a scorpion! The letters also are of a more modern formation, not differing much from those of the tenth century, found at Sárnáth and other places. Cunningham first pointed out to me the words Sri Pratápa.. . . on figs. 1 and 2. Capt. [As proposed at page 232, I now avail myself of the opportunity of supplementing a revised catalogue of the Gupta gold coinage, prefixing in each case the references to the plates in the present volume, and inserting notes of any other examples of the different specimens to be found in the works of Marsden and Wilson. In regard to the plan adopted for the serial classification of types, I may premise that the alphabetical letters determine the leading characteristics of the coin devices peculiar to each class. Modifications from the standard exemplar are defined by distinguishing italics suffixed to the indicative letter; and mere varieties are marked by numerals prefixed to the literal denomination of the mint series to which they belong. GHATOTKACHA. CLASS A. Pl. xxix. 12. 'Ariana Antiqua,' xviii. 14. OBVERSE-Full-length figure of the king, clothed somewhat after the fashion of the Indo-Scythians: the right hand is extended towards a small Mithraic altar, the left clasps a standard emblematic of the full moon.1 The marginal inscriptions on these coins are still imperfectly determined. The six coins I have had an opportunity of examining contribute the following letters :— 2 कमभिरुत्तमैर्जय कचोशुमवजत्य द्र or द्य. ' Prof. Wilson suggests the following reading:कर्मभिरुत्तमैर्जय [ति] कचोभूमिमवजित्य 'Kacha, having subdued the earth, secures victory by excellent deeds.' क LEGEND: (under the left arm)- चा REVERSE :-Female figure erect, holding a flower in the right hand, and supporting a cornucopia on the left arm. The latter is supposed to identify the figure with the Párvatí of the APAOKPO reverse of No. 9, pl. xxix., and No. 9 of pl. xxii. Monogram, variant of 155, 'Ariana Antiqua.' CLASS B. Pl. xxx. 7. 'Ariana Antiqua' xviii. 1. Freeling3 B.M. Eden.* OBVERSE-The king standing erect, his left hand rests upon his khandá, or straight 'sword,' while his right is advanced in the act of casting incense on the usual miniature Scythic altar. A chhata, the Indian emblem of sovereignty, overshadows his head. The attendant introduced below his left arm grasps the staff of the umbrella. LEGEND : - व. क. मादित्य चितिमवजित्य सुचरत Proposed modification :: विक्रमादित्यः चितिमवजित्य सुचरति 'Vikramaditya, having conquered the earth, prospers.' (H.H.W.) [Jour. As. Soc. Beng.', iv. 375. Inscription from the Temple of Harsha in Shekávatí, par. xviii. By whom was placed on the top of the house of Siva, his own appropriate emblem, the golden figure of a full moon.'] 2 [There is one letter, which I have been unable to identify, after the concluding of the above transcript, which, as far as mere forms go, represents or The name of Kacha in the field has an over the upper consonant.] 3 [Mr. G. H. Freeling, of the Bengal Civil Service-one of our most devoted numismatists-has liberally placed his entire cabinet at my disposal for publication.] [The citations thus noted refer to a collection made some years ago by Lieut. Cunningham, from whose hands it passed into the possession of the late Lord Auckland. It is now in the British Museum.] REVERSE-Female figure, similar to that in Class A., with the exception that the left hand holds the flower, while the right extends a regal fillet. Monogram, No. 159, 'Ariana Antiqua.' LEGEND:-fafe: Vikkramaditya. 2 B. A second coin, also in the possession of Mr. Freeling, contributes the concluding portion of the obverse legend inserted above. The reverse device, though identical in character with that of coin B, offers a modification in the attitude of the figure, which is here exhibited in full front view, and draped with the transparent garments of Mao and others of the Kadphises group (pl. xxii. 10). Otherwise, it is far more Indian in its treatment than the copy, from the Græco-Scythic models, to be found on the other coin. The monogram also differs from that in coin B, and assimilates to those found on the Ghatot Kacha pieces (pl. xxix. 12), except that it has the second crossbar as in No. 160, 'Ariana Antiqua.' The Vikramáditya has but one instead of the double letter () in B. These coins have been attributed by Major Cunningham to Chandra Gupta II.; but, on typical grounds alone, they must clearly be assigned to the first prince of that name; and I further draw the distinction, in regard to the titles, that the full Vikramaditya seems to belong to the third monarch of the family, while the Sri Vikrama remains special with the fifth of the race. CLASS C. Pl. xxix. 15. 'Ariana Antiqua,' xviii. 3. Marsden, No. MLVIII. OBVERSE :-Device: King leaning on his spear; facing him is a female figure. गु LEGEND:-Marginal writing imperfect. (Under the arm) REVERSE-Párvatí, with cornucopia, seated on a recumbent lion. LEGEND: The five excellences.' |