258 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIV, 
right or left or on both sides of the fire on the altar, and con- 
tinued to appear in the same manner on those of his successors 
Yezdegerd I (399-420) and Bahram V ( 420-438). Itwasdurng 
the reign of Yezdegerd II (438-457) that the monogram passed 4 
into the field on the right, and this usage became definite till 
the end of the dynasty, and was subsequently copied on the 
Arab drachmes. 
Itis curious to note that another mint-monogram BBA, which 
is the second part of the mint-monogram under discussion, first 
appeared during the reign of the same king on the reverse of 
his coins, and then on those of his successors till Firdz I (459- 
484). It is not met with on the coins of Balash (484-488) ; but 
Pec em in the first reign (488-497) of Kobad I. It is found 
disappeared till the sixth year (536) of Khusrau I (531-579), 
and again appeared during the same reign in 557 only to vanish 
again. It was not till 591, at the commencement of the reign 
of Khusrau I (590-628), that the activity of this mint manifests 
itself continuously up to 636, because we find this monogram 
indicates a town of Khorasan, perhaps Nishapir. Later on 
(J.R.AS., 1852, p. 390 8q.) considers that the name responds 
simply toa suburb of Mery. Mordtmann (Z.D.M.G., 1854, p- 12) ie 
adistrict of Merv. Finally he (Z.D.M.G., 1879, p. 114 8q- 02) 
believes that it indicates “ the Capital, the’ Residence.” ae 
BBA and KVI BBA or KVN BBA were the how f 
oW Al Bab, the town of Tabaristan, or Beban, after Thomas, 
ing an wtyT « royal palace”: but Ctesiphon was not the only S . 
place thus honoured. According to De Morgan, we cannot 
inscribed on their drachmes Sasainian type the | 
monogram BBA “the gate” ‘Tris a nan none << | 
ul 7) i 
