1879.] C. J. Eodgers — The Copper Coins of Kashmir. 277 



The Copper Coins of the old Maharajas of Kashmir.* — By C. J. Eodgees. 



(With two Plates.) 



Some years ago General Cunningham wrote for the Numismatic Socie- 

 ty of London, of which he is a most distinguished and worthy member, a 

 Paper on " The Ancient Coinage of Kashmir.'" That paper is now out of 

 print, and as it was written 36 years ago, the present generation cannot 

 obtain it. It identifies " no less than 18 Rajas of Kashmir extending from 

 Toramdna to Jaga Deva, who reigned from about A. D. 500 to 1200." In 

 the present paper I propose to cover less ground and to start with Avanti 

 Verma or Aditya Verma, the first Maharaja of the Utpala Dynasty, which 

 commences from the year 875 A. D. The coins are all from my own cabi- 

 net. In the majority of instances where I have duplicates I have chosen 

 that coin for my plates, which has the greatest number of legible letters 

 on it. The accessories which are very interesting have been made to give 

 way to this, as I regard the identification of the coin as of primary impor- 

 tance. 



As yet I have come across only two silver coins of any of these Maha- 

 rajas. They are of Didda, who was a Mahardni, and of Kalasa. These 

 two coins are of much finer execution than any of the copper ones. The 

 reverses have different letters on them. Nothing but photographs of them 

 would do them justice. I reserve them therefore for a separate notice. 

 They are round, but thicker than the copper coins and are much less worn, 

 The silver coins of the Sultans of Kashmir are square. General Cunning- 

 ham informs me that he has two gold coins of Harsha. I believe they are 

 the only gold coins known to exist of any one of the old Kashmir rulers. 



The following is the list of the rajas as given in Prinsep's Tables. — 

 (Those kings whose coins are in this paper are in italics.) 



Utpala Dynasty. 



a. D. 



875. Aditya or Avanti Verma. 



901. SanJcara Verma. 



922. Gopala Verma. 



* I am much, indebted to General Cunningham for help in reading the coins of 

 the Maharajas. My cabinet contains several not before published both in the Sultans 

 and Maharajas. I have several older coins, such as Vasukal, Milukal, Pratapaditya, 

 Vimnya, Durlabacha. 

 M M 



