1884.] Remarks by Mr. Gibhs. 63 



delineation of the Sassanian Altar : only one of the attendants is repre- 

 sented, that on the right side (to the observer) : the figure consists of 

 little more than 2 perpendicular lines with a line sloping across them 

 and another at an angle of about 120° to form an arm with a sword, and 

 then 3 dots to form the body and head, then another dot above, and the top 

 of the altar is composed of 3, 2 and 1 dots : a crescent is on the right top. 

 The coin is much rubbed and badly struck — but I think it worthy of con- 

 sideration as to whether it does not confirm the earlier views of Prinsep 

 and others that these coins are of Sassanian origin. 



The name ' Gudhya sika ' is given to nearly all small coins dug up in 

 Cutch or Kattrum, and I have had the ass's head on them pointed out 

 to me over and over again, but of course it was only the exaggerated 

 forehead and cheek of the head on the Obv. Lieut. Postans' coins being 

 square were either, I think, some of the bilingual small copper coins which 

 belonged to the later Kings of the successors of Alexander or some of 

 the earlier Hindu coins on which were rudely impressed an Elephant, a 

 Bull or a Horse. 



In the Sassanian series the Reverse which contains the altar fre- 

 quently has the flames represented by a pyramid of 4, 3, 2 and 1 dots, 

 while a star on the left and the crescent on the right of the flames 

 appear in almost all. On some of them the base of the altar bears the 

 sign 2£ which in these coins is made with a sort of St. Andrew's cross 



with an upright through the centre /£ and forms the centre support 



between the base and the top : while the dress on the Sassanian coins is 

 often ornamented with rows of jewels in lines or curves of dots. 



I regret I have no Sassanian coin here with me but the plates in 

 Marsden and Thomas will show what I mean. 



Mr. Leggett makes a great point of the two S-like marks on the 

 coins and confidently puts then down as Serpents, objecting to Pundit 

 Bhugwanlal's proposal that the one which alone was visible on the coins 

 he had was the fold of the garment round the shoulders, and lays 

 great stress on there being two such marks on some of the coins he exhi- 

 bits. Now a reference to PL V. of Thomas's 'Sassanians in Persia,' Nos. 8 

 and 9, (coins of Feroz) will show clearly what the snake-like mark is 

 intended to represent. In those coins there is on each side of the head a 

 double twisted ornament like an S, on the top of which are placed 3 lines : 

 it is hard from the coins to know what these are intended for, but on 

 examining more closely the woodcut of the Royal seal of Varahran, the 

 4th on page 11, it would appear that to each shoulder was attached a bell 

 and chain, and this on the seal and coins is represented as turned mouth 

 upwards as if being swung by the movement of the body. This is evi- 

 dently the origin of the " Snake" on the Gadya coins. 



The later Sassanian coins have the legends very imperfect, e. g., PI. 



