882 Lieut. Cunningham on Bactrian coins, [No. 105. 



Nos. 9 and 10. Round copper coins of middle size, of fair make, and 

 in fair preservation. 



Obverse. Figure of the king on horseback to the left ; the king*s 

 face half inclined to the front ; the ends of the diadem floating behind ; 

 the right hand raised, and extended to the front ; in the field before the 

 horse the same monogram as on the coin of Undopherras just described. 

 Legend in barbarous Greek — 

 On No. 9. — lAEYDHrDY BA2IAELUN ABAArASIDYI 



On No. 10. ditto. ditto. BABAArASDAI 



which I read as EAEYHHPDY BA2IAEIUN ABAAFASDY 

 " (coin) of the deliverer of kings, Abalgasus," where lAEYQHPQY 

 is used for EAEY0EPIOY. It is indeed quite possible that the 

 doubtful letters may be AAEAtI)DYiaYbut the pluralBA2IAElUN 

 is against this reading, as well as the Bactrian Pali legend of the 

 reverse. The epithet of Elentherius, which I believe is altogether 

 novel in numismatics, is well known as a title of Jupiter ; and its sub- 

 stitution for the simpler Soter is quite in accordance with Oriental 

 presumption ; and taken in conjunction with the inferiority of the coin, 

 it denotes a lower era of Grecian civilization, and a more flourishing 

 period of the progress of barbarism. 



Reverse. A male figure moving to the right, dressed evidently in 

 the Indian dhoti ; and from the ends of a diadem appearing behind his 

 head, I should suppose him to be a royal personage ; the right hand is 

 raised and extended before him, holding out an indistinct object, not 

 unlike the hankboos^ or elephant goad. In the field are two Bactrian 

 monograms which have baffled all my endeavours to read ; the upper 

 portion to the left however looks not unlike a compound of the Grecian 

 letters P and M. In the field of No. 10 there is likewise the Grecian 

 letter B to the left of the figure. Legend in Bactrian Pali, 

 iPI/'^^i h^VS^^E, TnipbNO Tni'pL 'PSniu 

 Maharajasa trddatasa Abagasasa Andophara khudra putrasa ; 

 " (coin) of the great saviour king Abagasa, the younger son of 

 Andophara." In this long and highly interesting legend there are but 

 two doubtful letters immediately before putrasa : these two letters I 

 read with some hesitation as khudra^ the Pali equivalent of the Sanskrit 

 '^S^ kshudra, which means " younger," and completes the legend 

 more satisfactorily than any other word which I can propose. 



