1835.] Description of new Bactrian Coins. 337 



Coins with Greek inscriptions only. 

 With Euthydemus of Magnesia, who conquered Theodotus II, B.C. 

 220, commences our present series : of his coinage I now possess a me- 

 dal in silver, procured by Mohan Lal, for Dr. Gerard, near Kabul. It 

 is superior in execution to the fine coin taken home by Lieut. Burnes. 

 The exterior surface is of a dark-grey, like that of chloride of silver. 

 PI- XXV. jig. 1. — Euthydemus, silver tetradrachma, weight 240 grs. 



Obverse. Head of the king in high relief. 

 ■Reverse. Hercules with his club, seated on clouds; inscription BA2IAE11S 

 ET0YAHMOT. 



Fig. 2. — A hemidrachma of Demetrius, silver, in the Ventura col- 

 lection ; a very beautiful coin, similar to one depicted in Sestini. 

 Obverse. Head of the king, with helmet shaped like an elephant's skin and tusks. 

 Reverse. Hercules standing, inscription BASlAEXi^ AHMHTPIOT. 



Agathocles. 



Fig. 3. — A silver coin of Agathocles, in the Ventura collection. 

 Obverse. A well-executed head, with the royal fillet : short curly hair. 

 Reverse. Jupiter standing, holding a small female figure, having apparently 



a flambeau in either hand : on the sides BA2IAEn5 ArA©OKAEOY5, with a 



peculiar monogram. 



The general appearance of the head, and of the figure on the reverse, 

 resemble the unique coin of Heliocles which Mr. Wilson has sketched 

 for me from Visconti's work. Should there have been any indistinct- 

 ness in the first two letters of the name on that coin, we may find 

 reason to erase Heliocles from the Bactrian monarchy, and to sub- 

 stitute Agathocles, of whom Mr. Masson has already made known 

 to us ten very peculiar copper coins, (Jour. III. PI. ix. fig. 17.) The 

 inscription in Pehlevi (?) on the reversd of those coins proves that 

 they belong to a Bactrian prince, and are not to be ascribed to Alexan- 

 der's general of the same name, who is no where asserted to have 

 assumed the regal power. The name is common enough. It was in 

 revenge for a grievous insult offered to his family by one Agathocles, 

 prefect of the provinces beyond the Euphrates, under Antiochus 

 Theos, (B. C. 250,) that the Scythian Arsaces was roused to establish 

 independent dominion in Parthia. The same party may have followed 

 the example of assuming the title of king in some province of 

 Bactria. That the coin does not belong to Agathocles of Syracuse 

 I can now assert with confidence, having before me the most beau- 

 tiful plates of the coins of that sovereign, (whose name is always 

 written in the Doric genitive Agathocleos, or Agathocleios,) in the 

 * Tresor de Numismatique', now under publication at Paris*. 



* I discover in the same plate that the Greek coin (obverse, Minerva, and reverse 

 Pegasus), described by me in the second vol. of this Journal (PI. I. fig. 2) belongs 

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