1918.] Numismatic Supplement No, XXX. 259 
On the later Arab drachmes we find a mint figuring in all 
its letters WW Al Bab, which may perhaps be the city 
indicated by the monogram BBA; because ol is the Arabic 
equivalent of the Pahlavi word baba. Ctesiphon should be 
rejected because towards the close of the year 636 or in 637 
the battle of Kadisiya virtually decided the fate of the Tigris 
valley, and in 638 the Arabs crossed the Tigris and fell on 
Ctesiphon. But the monogram BBA figures in 651 on the 
drachmes of Yezdegerd ITI. 
I think De Morgan is right when he remarks that the hono- 
rific epithet BBA was attached to one of the towns in the ex- 
treme east of the empire which perhaps had struck under another 
monogram, Merv, Balkh, Nishapir and other great cities of om 
districts which appertained to the king of Persia in the y 
of his death. Unfortunately we do not possess any indication 
of a definite nature for our guide as to the choice of the city or 
cities which carried these honorific epithets. 
Description of the Drachme. 
Metal—Silver. Weight—63 grains. 
Size—1” Mint—KVN BBA. 
Obverse.—The bust of king to right, wearing a crown adorned 
with wings and surmounted by the traditional globe. The hair 
ce ag back and arranged in curls, with a fillet floating behind. 
ren 
Legend. —Mazdayasan Varahran malka, *‘ Mazda-worship- 
ping Bahra ram, kin 
Reverse.—The holy pyreum on an altar adorned with bands, 
having on the sides two personages holding visa’ swords upright, 
and fillets floating from their_tiaras. Gréne 
Legend.—On the sides, Ata(r) Varah neni ‘ the fire of Bah- 
ram,” that is to say, the fire consecrated bv the king Bahram ; 
on the altar-shaft, rast “just”; and to the right of the fire, 
KVN (kavan), ‘ royal’ and left, BBA (baba), the residence, the 
capital,” that is to say ‘‘ the royal capital.” 
I reproduce the enlarged facsimile of the mint-monogram 
only so that it can be sic euiing with that on the drachmes of 
the Bartholomaei collection 
a L22 KVN BBA. 
