650 New varieties of the [Oct. 



letter h. The legend is in all exactly the same on the reverse, 

 ^fsHT JTT 5 ? Ajita Mahendra : ' the unconquered Mahendra.' The 

 female holds, in her right hand, variously, a flower, a noose, or food 

 for an attendant peacock, like that of the Kumdra coins. 

 On the obverse the legend is more variable. 

 In No. 3, we have the letters ^fm tt ~$w. . . . "FTfTsST. . . . 

 In No. 4, not legible. . rff^T 



In No. 5, ^q . . not legible. 



Fig. 6. (Tregear). This coin resembles in all respects the foregoing, 

 excepting as to the legend, which is on the obverse, beginning at the 

 top TrJ?¥{ . . . •SfJITT: Parames (vara ? Cha or make) ndra-gupta. On the 

 reverse (the second letter being very clear on a duplicate coin in Capt. 

 Cunningham's cabinet) ^fsTrT f^W Ajita Vikrama. This name so 

 closely resembles the common pronunciation of Vicramajit , (correctly 

 written ViKRAMADiTrA,) that although it may not belong to that 

 celebrated sovereign, it is very possible that matters appertaining to 

 the history of the one may have been transferred to the other, and hence 

 some of the confusion, so perplexing to the historian, have originated. 

 Fig. 7. An unique lately procured by Mr. Tregear. The Raja on 

 the obverse is of a peaceful character, with hand extended but no altar. 

 A diminutive attendant holds a chatta over his head. The letters on 

 the margin are not legible. On the reverse is the standing cornucopia 

 female holding a well depicted lotus flower, with a lateral inscription 

 which may be read fzTfrwii'^cm Vikramdditya ; but although the length 

 of the subjoined y exceeds that usually found in the d, and the 

 rfiis not much like the ch, it is probable that the word is after all only 

 f^SRH^SJ: Vikrama Chandra : and we must not allow our sanguine 

 imagination to rejoice in having at length hit upon a veritable coin 

 of the author of the Samvat era ; against which there is also a cogent 

 chronological obstacle, in the date hitherto assigned to our dynasty of 

 Guptas*. 



Fig. 9 (Tr.) is introduced as a new variety of the Chandra-gupta 

 coinage : only differing from the numerous class before described in the 

 legends, which are very clearly on the obverse, ^^"^JIH'-. . . . Sri Chan- 

 dra-gupta, (the titles not legible,) and on the reverse ^fTsRfl: Sri 

 Vikrama. 



Fig. 10, of Mr. Tregear's collection, was engraved as a doubtful 



name, but 1 think it may be set down as belonging to Skanda-gupta. 



Figs. 11 to 15. This curious class of copper coins has not yet 



been brought to notice. They are indeed much more scarce than the 



gold coins of the same age, and hitherto only those of one individual 



* Mr. Tregear has since written that on re-examination the word is palpably 

 Vikramaditya. 



