588 



Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, 



[No, 5, 



a higher quality of refmage. ' Pure/ therefore, with reference to native 

 coins, means that they contain no purposely added alloy. 



c The average weight of all the Akbars is grs. 168.432. 



* The value of 10 in Indian Rupees (present currency) is Rupees 

 10-0-7 at 16 Br. 



' The average weight of the Shir Shah Rupees is grs. 16743-3. 



c Value of 10, in Indian Rupees, is Rupees 9-15-7, at 16 Br., 

 showing that 10 Rupees of either Akbar or Shir Shah's coinage are 

 about equal in value to 10 Rupees, present currency.* 



" From the earliest times the current coins of all Mohammedan 

 sovereigns have been the dinar , or gold denarius ; the dirhem, or silver 

 drachma; and the copper /afo, or, as it is more generally used in the 

 plural, falus. The word dinar, is a word of considerable historical 

 importance, as it has given rise to certain chronological speculations 

 by no means of small interest. It is used in an inscription of Chandra 

 Gupta's date, as if the coin were then current ; but it occurs very much 

 earlier in Hindoo shasters prior to the time of Panini, who it is sup- 

 posed lived in the fourth century B. C. It is mentioned, however, in 

 early Sanskrit literature as an ornament only, and would appear to 

 have been worn round the neck, several being strung together, separated 

 by coral or other beads, in a manner similar to the necklaces of gold 

 mohurs we see every day worn by the natives around us. The ancient 

 Sanskrit Grammarians endeavoured to derive the word from Sanskrit 

 foots ; but there is no doubt that it is the Roman denarius, although 

 that coin was of silver. The dirhem is the Greek drachma. Our cabinets 

 of Bactrian coins furnish us with numerous specimens of drachmas, 

 didrachmas, and tetradrachmas. 



" The falus is the obolus. Akbar adopted the rupee of Shir Shah, 

 and, if we are to put faith in Abu'l Fazl, paid great attention to the 

 standard of his coins. Still, all the silver coins of his mints I have 

 had tested differ somewhat in weight, some as much as 10 grains. 

 The average of eleven, however, gives a coin as nearly as possible equal 

 in weight to the Company's Rupee. The basis of his currency was 

 the dam. Abu'l Fazl says that one of Akbar's rupees exchanged for 

 forty of these clams, and this statement has helped Mr. Thomas ; but 

 I think some further investigation with the help of the coins themselves 

 is desirable, before we accept so very low a value for gold in the reign 

 of Akbar." 



