1899.] Dr. W. Uocj— the Suvarna. 57 



by General Cunningliam, I was uncertain wlietlier I should publish a 

 note ou them or not. I have recently made some observations which 

 induce me to exhibit them to this Society. 



I noticed about eighteen months ago, that the wife of a Gurkha 

 Subahdur was wearing gold ornaments in her ear which in general idea 

 corresponded to the flat gold rings or discs which I possessed, and I 

 afterwards learned that these ornaments were called Sun, the word for 

 gold, and the Gurkhas have no name for earring save Siin. This led 

 me to think that the suvarna is the Sun adapted for currency purposes : 

 and 1 now submit a Stm with the old gold discs which I venture to call 

 S2ivarnas. 



Some months ago a Siamese traveller showed me specimens of 

 ancient coins of his country and I observed that some of them resembled 

 a horse shoe in general shape, but with the ends tapering to a point) 

 being round instead of flat throughout and thickest at the middle. 

 These did not all close up as much as a horse shoe. This form of coin 

 reminded me that I had found many years ago a curious crescent shaped 

 piece of metal at Set Mahet, which might be a coin, and while lookiuo- 

 for its connection with ornaments I observed that the Gurkhas call the 

 crescent shaped gold ornament worn in the ears sometimes a Manipurl 

 Sun to distinguish it from their own earring which they simply call 

 Sun. The theory which I venture to propound is that the suvarna, 

 iiislca, or liarsa, was nothing more at first than a piece of gold made up 

 resembling an earring, and of an approximate uniform size or weight, 

 fashioned so as to facilitate handling. The raised rim round the circular 

 hole and round the outer edge of the piece is to prevent it fro:n slipping 

 while it becomes easily drawn by the extended figures when counted or 

 weighed. 



It may be an error to imagine that gold coins were cut or stamped 

 to uniform weight. We have the punch-marked silver coins of ancient 

 India which must have been passed by weight in barter for commodities : 

 and what I think is that these beautiful yellow gold discs or rino-s were 

 in circulation at the same period with the punchmarked coins. 



7. On the origin of the Chaklai Musalmdns. — By Maulavi 'Abdul 

 Wali. 



The paper will be published in the Journal, Part III. 



8. Materials for a Garcinological Fauna of India. No. 4. Part II. 

 The Brachyura Cyclometopa, with an Account of Three of the Constituent 

 Families, namely, the Portimidse, Cancridse and Corystidoe. — By A. Alcock, 

 I, M.S., Superintendent of the Indian Museum. 



The paper will be published in the Journal, Part II. 



