1834.] bearing a Greek Inscription. 433 



the Prachi, and the appointment by Seleucus of the celebrated 

 Megasthenes as resident at the court of his Raja son-in-law, went 

 as far as human wisdom could do, in adding stability to their footing. 

 It requires more experience in numismatic lore than I can boast, 

 to explain the meaning of the different symbols or " Chungahs" on 

 this coin. The obverse has the word " Soter" very distinct : what 

 letters follow I cannot say ; they certainly are not the same character, 

 but what they are, must perhaps remain a secret till further research 

 gives us a more complete coin by which to determine. The j'har or 

 branch is distinct, (can this be the olive branch ?) the other Chun- 

 gahs I cannot decipher. The monogram on the reverse is the same as 

 that on some coins in my possession, having an elephant on the ob- 

 verse*. 



The Greek jaedad or territories we may suppose grew into consi- 

 deration much the same as did the Honorable Company's after their 

 first footing : and like the infant Company too, we may suppose, the 

 Greeks established a currency of their own, though more perhaps with 

 a view of handing down their achievement to posterity than as a neces- 

 sary medium of barter, and I think the coin (the subject of this com- 

 munication) bears every mark of being of those times, of the Chandra- 

 gupta dynasty. 



Note on another Coin of the same type procured by Lieut. A. Conolly, 



at Kanouj, by the Secretary. 

 At the moment of perusing Major Stacy's remarks on the 

 indications of a Greek inscription on the Behat type of coin, as it may 

 continue to be designated until its origin be better determined, and 

 with his two coins before me, (PI. xxv. figs. 2, 3,) corroborating his 

 readingt ; I am most opportunely put in possession of another scion 

 of the same stock speaking a totally different language ! 



Lieut. Conolly has already had the good fortune to make known 

 a valable Kanouj coin with a legible inscription, in the language and 

 character of the Allahabad column, (inscription No. 2.) His zealous 

 exertions have again conducted him to a brilliant discovery at th e 

 same place, of the very nature we could have desired at this moment — 

 a coin of the Behat type, bearing a clear and distinct inscription : and 

 that inscription in the unknown character No. 1. of the Allahabad 

 column! Two of Mr. Masson's coins, it will be remembered, bore 

 characters which were pronounced to be of this alphabet. They were 



* No. 27, Journal Asiatic Society, page 121, line xvii. The Elephant ap- 

 pears to have been one of the Symbols of the Chandragupta dynasty. 



f It should be remarked however that the apparently Greek letters when inverted 

 resemble closely the Delhi character : it will be wrong therefore to assume posi- 

 tively that they are Greek. 

 2 K 



