198 Philological Secretary — Reports on old coins. [Aug . 



by the Collector to the finder under the orders of Government (see Collec- 

 tor's No. 156 G, dated 3rd May 1889). 



All the 24 specimens are Rupees of the Pathan Sultan 'Alau-d- 

 DfN Muhammad Shah, who reigned from A. H. 695-715 = A. D. 1295- 

 1315. The remainder are stated (in Collector's letter Wo. 51 G, dated 

 13th August 1888) to have been identical in appearance. It may be pre- 

 sumed, therefore, that all the coins of the hoard were Rupees of the same 

 type of the same Sultan. The type is that described and figured in 

 E. Thomas' Chronicles of the Pathan kings of Delhi, p. 171, Nos. 133 and 

 134, plate III, fig. 57. In most of the 24 specimens, the margin is entirely 

 or almost entirely cut away ; accordingly neither the place nor the 

 year of mint can be determined. In 9 specimens, however, traces of the 

 mint place Ddru-l-Isldm (i. e., Dehli), and in two others, of Hasrat DehM, 

 can be distinguished. Two specimens also preserve traces of the dates 

 711 and 713. 



3. — Report on 89 ancient coins, forwarded by the Deputy Commis- 

 sioner of Rawalpindi, with his No. 847 G, dated the 25th March, 1889. 



The coins are stated to have been dug up by a zemindar, in June 

 1888, near Hasan Abdal, in land held by him in joint-ownership. 



They all belong to the well-known " Bull and Horseman " type 

 of silver coins of the Brahmanic kingdom- of Kabul. They have 

 been often found in large quantities, and described and figured ; e. g. t 

 in Wilson's Ariana Antigua, Plate XIX, fig. 1-5, Prinsep's Indian Anti- 

 quities (ed. Thomas), Plate XXV, fig. 3-5, etc. They show on the 

 obverse a mounted warrior with the legend Bhima and the date 814 ; 

 and on the reverse a recumbent Brahmani Bull with the legend S'ri 

 Samanta Deva (82 specimens) or Sri Stjalpati Deva (7 sp.). The date 

 814 is most probably referable to the Saka era, and therefore equivalent 

 to 891-892 A. D. 



The average weight of each coin is 47*55 grains. One specimen 

 has been, in kind response to my request, assayed by the Assistant Mint 

 Master, Dr. J. Scully, with the following result. The fineness is 

 silver 894, 6 per mille ; the only other metals entering into the composi- 

 tion of the coins being copper and a very small amount of gold. The 

 intrinsic value of each coin, derived from weight and fineness, is 4 annas 

 \\ pie. The modern four-anna piece weighs 45 grains and has a fine- 

 ness of 916 - 6 per mille ; so the lower fineness of the ancient coin is more 

 than compensated by its superior weight. 



Twenty-five of the coins are in bad preservation ; the remainder are 

 more or less fairly preserved : on 23 of the latter the date is legible. 



The Secretary laid before the Meeting the report of the " Barisal 

 Guns " Sub- Committee. 



