1835.] Continuation of notes on Hindu Coins. 67 5 



not escaped Mm in his travels, although he has not favored the public 

 with any drawings of them, or any comments on their age and 

 locality. 



Munshi Mohan Lal's collection of coins made at Cdbul, afforded 

 me a favorable opportunity of ascertaining the accurate names and 

 readings of the silver group, but unfortunately these do not embrace 

 so much varietv as tbe copper coins. The reason for this may be, that 

 the munshi's collection was discovered in a foreign country. A treasure 

 accidentally dug up, however numerous, would naturally consist of 

 the monev then current, with a small admixture of that of preceding 

 reigns : in fact, out of 100 coins, 65 belong to one type (figs. 3, 4, 5,), 

 25 to another (figs. 1, 2,), and only three or four to a third (figs. 6,7,). 

 Colonel Stacy on the other hand had the advantage of exploring 

 the very field in which they must have been at one period current, 

 and his series is, therefore, much more complete, though rarely so 

 numerous in any particular species. A letter from this gentleman to 

 my address, dated 2nd August, 1834, suggests, that " as the figures 

 both on the obverse and reverse of these coins are evidently made up 

 of letters, either of Sanscrit or some other Hindu characters, they 

 should be submitted to the kind attention of the professors of the Hin- 

 du college. The great variety, and the general distinctness of the cha- 

 racters on them, holds out fair hopes of our becoming acquainted with 

 the dynasty they belong to, as well as With many of the individuals 

 of that dynasty. The names placed against each hy pandits, to whom 

 they have been shewn, are worthy of no reliance. The natives possess 

 neither enterprize nor invention ; when they find a letter or letters 

 wanting, they will not attempt to fill up the blank." 



The opinion here broached, that the outline figures were made up 

 of letters, is supported by the authority of Colonel Tod, who remarks 

 in the only passage I can find on the subject, (vol. i. p. 698.) " My 

 envoys brought, from Nadolaye, a small bag full of curious hierogly- 

 phical (if I may so use the term) medals of the Chohan princes. One 

 side represents a warrior on horseback, compounded out of a charac- 

 ter to which I have given the above term ; on some there was a bull ; 

 while others, retaining the original reverse, have on the obverse the 

 titles of the first Islamite conquerors, in the same manner as the 

 currency of France bears the effigies of Louis XVI. and the emblems 

 of the republic. Whoever will pay a visit to Nadolaye, will find his 

 labour amply rewarded ; I had only leisure to glean a few of these 

 relics, which yet formed a rich harvest." 



When the singular contour of the horseman and bull is traced back 

 to its original type in figures 1, 2, where the whole substance of the 



