292 Specimens of Indo-Sassanian Coins. [April, 



vers extrait d'un hymne du Rigv£da, dans lequel les mots vicdm 

 Jcavim, voisins du compost vigpatim, doivent peut-etre se traduire 

 plutot par hominum regem que par agricolarum vatem." — \Commen- 

 taire sur le Yacna, chapitre I. p. 455.] 



I now proceed to particularize the coins inserted in my plate. 

 Indo-Sassanian Coins, Plate XIV. 



Fig. 1, a silver coin in my cabinet of an unique type: — Obverse 

 the prince on horse-back, head disproportionate in dimensions. On 

 the horse's neck is a flower vase*, which is probably supported by the 

 man's left arm ; on the margin are some indistinct Pehlevi characters 

 and on the field a monogram, resembling the Nagari letter 3ff. The 

 device on the reverse is nearly obliterated. 



Fig. 2, a copper coin, also unique : it escaped my detection among 

 a number of old Bokhara Musalman coins, or it should have appeared 

 along with the bull and horseman or Rajput series of December, 1835. 

 It seems to link this curious outline group with the full-faced Sassa- 

 nians of Vasudeva, &c. ; for on the border of the obverse are Pehlevi 

 letters. The features of the supposed face are barely admissible as 

 such even on the lowest estimate of native art. The horse on the 

 reverse is more palpable, but it seems more like a toghreh or flourish 

 of Persian letters, than ever. It is also reversed in position, and has 

 no Nagari legend. 



The coins of this genus, although we have found them connected 

 with Delhi sovereigns and Malwa rajas at one end of the series, 

 evidently reach at the other to the brahmanical rulers of the Panj&b, 

 and probably Cdbul. They are procured much more abundantly 

 at the latter place (and on the site of Taxila according to M. Court) 

 than in any part of India. Some of them exhibit on their reverse 

 the style of Arabic now known to belong to the Ghaznavi Sultans, 

 while others agree rather with the Ghori type, and contain known 

 names of that dynasty. 



Fig. 3, a silver coin in my cabinet, K. A. Several of the same 

 nature are depicted by Masson as noticed above. The execution is 

 very bold and the preservation equally good. A double blow has, 

 however, confused the impression on the reverse. 



The head-dress or helmet is surmounted by the head of a buf- 

 falo, in imitation perhaps of Menander's elephant trophy. The 

 two wings common on the Sassanian cap are still preserved. The 



a quelque monarque Bactrien, c'est que ce Kavacha est pere de Tura, dont le 

 nom rappelle le Touran. Mais je ne crois pas, pour cela, que Kavacha puisse 

 £tre identifie avec le mot Zend et Sanscrit kavi. 



* Perhaps the Kdmacumbha or vase of abundance, of Tod. Ann. Raj. I. 603. 



