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Vol. IV, No. 8.] Numismatic Supplement. 445 
[NV.S.] 
be the side more honourable. Now obviously the sacrosanct 
Kalima or else its Akbari substitute (ae Ua_asi at), since 
enshrining the holy name of Allah, is essentially pre-eminent in 
honour, ext in rank, at least within his own dominion, will 
come the name of the ‘Emperor, that “shadow of the favour of 
Allah” (al} Jas al); while at a lower grade in the scale of 
precedence will stand the mint-name, Hence arises the following 
(a) The “obverse” of a coin is, and absolutely, that side 
wee - bears either the Kalima or the Akbari for- 
(b) Only i in a absence of these should the side on which 
st ands the Emperor’s name be regarded as the 
‘ obverse.” 
(c) sa eee where none of the three occurs, neither 
K nor formula, nor Emperor’s name, the 
sirscanibe of the mint-name suffices to constitute its 
side the “ obverse.” 
Naturally, however, where the legends on the two sides of a 
coin, read continuously, form a single couplet or quatrain, the 
“obverse” is reserved for the first half, even though it be the 
second half that carries the distinction of containing the name of 
e Emperor. 
N ext with reference to the distinctive method of grouping the 
coins that are recorded in this volume. In the British Museum 
mperor are separated acco pending to their metal, gold or silver or 
copper; and lastly under each Emperor the coins of each metal 
are classified according to th ye _ the several members of 
these mint-sub-groups being chronol y. Here 
then, we have a distinctly icant io presentment of the coins that 
issued in different years i — mint —* each reign. : 
couple of years at Mr. suggestion 
owt poets in ‘ago at Me. with this new method, and can hear 
personal testimony to the decided advantage that has since 
accrued. Our hope is that this system of classification will ere 
