J 835.] on Indo-Scythic mid Hindu Coins. 627 



in those countries where civilization and commerce had induced the 

 necessity of some convenient representative of value. The antiquarian 

 therefore will have little hesitation in ascribing the highest grade of 

 antiquity in Indian numismatology to those small flattened bits of 

 silver or other metal which are occasionally discovered all over the 

 country, either quite smooth, or bearing only a few punch-marks on 

 one or both sides ; and generally having a corner cut off, as may be 

 conjectured, for the adjustment of their weight*. Many instances of 

 this type have been given in Col. Mackenzie's collection, (figs. 101 

 to 108 of Wilson's plates) who describes them as "of an irregular 

 form, bearing no inscription, occasionally quite plain, and in any case 

 having onlv a few indistinct and unintelligible svmbols : that of the 

 sun, or a star is most common ; and those of the lingam (?) the 

 crescent, and figures of animals may be traced." The Colonel's 

 specimens were chiefly procured in South India : others have been dug 

 up in the Sunderbans :— and many were found at Behat (fig. 14.) 



But the few selected specimens in Col. Stacy's collection, (fig^. 

 25 — 29) yield more food for speculation than the nearly smooth 

 pieces above alluded to. On all these we perceive the symbol of the 

 sun to be the faintest of those present : in two instances (figs. 28, 29) 

 it is superposed by symbols which may be hence concluded to be more 

 recent. These are severally, the & chaitya, the tree, the swastika >fi 

 and the human figure ; besides which in fig. 26, we have the elephant, 

 the bull, and the peculiar symbols of figs. 34 — 37. They are all stamped 

 on at random with punches, and may naturally be interpreted as the 

 insignia of successive dynasties authenticating their currency. 



In one only, fig. 30, does there appear any approach to alphabetic 

 characters, and here the letters resemble those of the luths, or of the 

 caves on the west of India, the most ancient written form of the Sanscrit 

 language. 



From the above original seem to have descended two distinct 

 families, of which one was produced by the hammer and die, the 

 other by casting in a mould. Of the latter, easily recognizable by 

 the depth of relief, the projecting keel on the margin, shewing where 

 the moulds were united, — and the greater corrosion due to the soft- 

 ness of the cast metal, — we have various groupes, and sub-divisions, 

 but most of them agree in bearing the ^ monogram for their obverse * 

 sometimes, as in figs. 34, 35, 36, 37, with addition of two smaller 

 symbols, « , like the sign of Tauru3 reversed. 



* Their average weight is 50 grains, or the same as the tan k (=. 3 mashas) 

 of the ancieat Hindu Metrology. Indeed the word tank-sdla, mint, goes far to 

 prove that these are the very pieces fabricated for circulation under that name. 



