1835.] On ancient Hindu Coins. 621 



III. — On the connection of various ancient Hindu coins with the Grecian 

 or Indo-Scythic series. By James Prinsep, Sec. 8(C 



In my last notice on the subject of coins, I promised to bring 

 forward demonstrations in kind, of the direct descent of the Hindu 

 coins of Kanouj, from what have been denominated the Indo-Scythic 

 series. In attempting to redeem my pledge, I am aware that I run 

 counter to the opinions of those who maintain that the Hindus prac- 

 tised the art of coinage, and had a distinct currency of their own 

 before the Greeks entered India ; especially my friend Colonel Stacy. 

 To him my opposition might appear the more ungracious, since the 

 weapons I am about to use are chiefly those he has himself so gener- 

 ously placed in my hands ; but that I well know he is himself only 

 anxious to develope the truth, and will support a cherished theory 

 no longer than it can be maintained with plausibility at least, if not 

 with proof. 



I am not, however, about to contend that the Hindus had no in* 

 digenous currency of the precious metals. On the contrary, I think 

 evidence will be found in the collection about to be described, that they 

 circulated small pieces of a given weight ; that stamps were given to 

 these', varying under different circumstances ; and that many of these 

 earliest tokens exhibit several stamps consecutively impressed on the 

 same piece, until at last the superposed impressions (not those of a die 

 but rather of a punch) came to resemble the devices seen on the Indo- 

 Scythic coins, in company with which they have been found buried 

 in various places, particularly in Captain Cautley's Herculaneum at 

 Behat near Saharanpur. 



That from this period, in round terms, may be assumed the adoption 

 of a die-device, or of coined money properly so called, by the Hindus, 

 is all I would venture at present to uphold ; and in doing so, I will not 

 again appeal to the assertions of Pausanias*, quoted in Robertson's 

 disquisition, that the Hindus had no coined money of their own ; nor 

 to the silence of the Mahabharat and other ancient works on the 

 subject ; but solely to the close family resemblance of four distinct 

 classes of Hindu coins to what may be called their Bactrian prototypes ; 

 namely, those of Kanouj ; the later class of the Behat, or the Buddhist, 

 group ; the coins of Suurdshtra, found at Ujjain, in Guzerdt andCachha ; 

 and those which Colonel Stacy has denominated Rtijput coins, having 

 the device of a horseman on one side, and a bull on the other. 



Before proceeding to comment upon the first of these classes, my 

 tribute of obligation and praise is due to Colonel Stacy, for the 



* See J. A. S. vol. i. page .'594. 

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