18 The Initial Coinage of Bengal. ■ [No. 3, 



duce returns absolutely identical up to the first place of decimals. 

 My original estimates were sketched and published at Dehli, in 1851, 

 where I had access to the best MSS., to the most comprehensive 

 range of antiquarian relics, and at command the most intelligent oral 

 testimony in the land. "When reprinting Prinsep's " Useful Tables" 

 (London, 1858), I had occasion to quote these calculations, and was 

 able to fortify them, had it been needed, by the precisely analogous 

 results obtained by Colonel W. Anderson, who had tried Abiil Fazl's 

 figures, from a different point of view, and for altogether independent 

 purposes.* But if there were the faintest reason for doubting so 

 moderate rate as one to 9 "4, the whole discussion might be set at rest 

 by Abiil Fazl's own statement as translated into English in 1783 

 when, in concluding a very elaborate review of the profit and loss of 

 refining gold, for the purpose of coinage, he concludes, and the process 

 " leaves a remainder of about one-half a tolah of gold, the value of 

 which is four rupees. "f It may be as well that I should add, that 

 some of my totals differ from those to be found in Gladwin's transla- 

 tion of the original Persian text. J I do not recapitulate the several 

 divergencies, but it is necessary to prove the justice of one, at least, 

 of my emendations. Gladwin's MSS. gave the rupee at 11J mdshas, 

 (i. p. 34). The more carefully collated Dehli texts showed the real 

 weight to be 11*5 mdshas, a static fact of some importance, which is 

 curiously susceptible of proof from Gladwin's own data : at page 46 

 of his Calcutta edition, a sum is given of the refining charges and 

 profits, as understood by the mints of those days, wherein 989 tolas, 

 9 mashas of impure silver is stated to be reduced by 14 t. 9 m. 1 k. 

 in refining, and a further 4 t. 10 m. 3 R. in manipulation, leaving 

 11641 mdshas of silver (989. 9. 0. — 14. 9. 1. — 4. 10. 3. = 

 11641) which is officially announced as ordinarily coined into 1012 

 rupees, (1012 X 115=11638) giving, as nearly as may be, the 

 essential 11 J mashas, which the translated text should have preserved 

 in its earlier passages. 



Richard Hawkins, who was at Agra in A. d. 1609-11, during the 

 reign of Jahangir, has left a notice of certain accumulated treasures 

 of that prince which he was permitted to behold, and amongst the 

 rest he specifies, " In primis, of Seraffins Ecberi, which be ten rupias 



* U. T. ; Vol. ii„ p. 32. f Gladwin, i. 44. $ 4to., Calcutta, 1783. 



