1840.] from Baclrian and Indo- Scythian coins. 269 



angle a small line, turned upwards; the d is here more open 

 than an obtuse angle of 100°. The small line, shooting up to the 

 left, is however met with (R. R. II. No. 14, No. 13) likewise in 

 d, which here completely assumes the form of t, while the t has 

 become more slender, and more like a straight line. 



This uncertainty in the character does not only occur upon 

 the older coins which represent a native writing, less carefully 

 executed ; for though, according to Mr. Prinsep^s remark, it 

 becomes more distinct and exact in process of time, still the 

 same difficulty in distinguishing precisely d and t occurs upon 

 the well preserved coins of Azes. Thus upon the coin, As. 

 Trans, iv. PL xxn. No. 10, No. 1, where the t of the word 

 mahato (great) takes in both the angular form of d, once with 

 the cross-line below, the second time with the final stroke above, 

 shooting out ( *l ), while there is upon a third coin (No. 2) 

 a t with a final stroke, turned upwards to the left ( *i ). 



If therefore a distinction between both letters is to be made, 

 we are at a loss what characters belong to either of them. 

 Since we are now only in search of the language, and the writing 

 gives us no explanation itself, I only know one way to come to 

 a conclusion. It is indeed proper to read, with regard to names, 

 according to the Greek, because there is evidently a tendency 

 to distinguish t and d from one another ; but this tendency may 

 here be attributed to the influence of the foreign names of kings, 

 and it decides therefore nothing about the original rule of 

 sounds in the language. For this the analogy of what occurs in 

 other organs would be the strongest criterion ; if p and b, k 

 and g, be likewise not distinguished, we can maintain this as 

 being both t and d. We therefore shall defer the decision of 

 the question as to whether in the language of our coins, the 

 different grades of consonants were confounded. 



Mr. Prinsep has explicitly noticed the uncertainty of the 

 characters ; Mr. Grotefend gives evidence of it in his alphabet, 

 and adds to d some entirely deviating forms. In order not to 

 copy in printing all those little varieties, I have always put 

 for t, 1, for ti, % for d, "I, and for di, \ when I adopted the one 

 or the other according to Greek, or from internal evidence ; but a 

 final decision must by no means be anticipated, as to this point. 





