1840.J from Bactrian and Indo- Scythian coins. 375 



§ 8. 

 Coins of Agathokles and Pantaleon. 



We may now turn to another class of coins, those namely of 

 the kings, above mentioned. The coins of both of them have 

 genuine Greek characters, and those of Agathokles must be 

 numbered with the most beautiful coins, which have been pre- 

 served, and belong to the most nourishing period of Greek 

 art in Bactria, and the countries adjacent. Both kings hold 

 to the simple title jSarriXewc, but have besides upon the reverse 

 of some coins, legends in the most ancient shape of Indian charac- 

 ters, of the very same shape which is discovered in Pracrit upon 

 the laths, thus styled, or columns with Buddhistic inscriptions in 

 Pracrit. 



The merit of having decyphered these most ancient Indian cha- 

 racters, is also due to Mr. Prinsep, and I have here only to give 

 an account of the manner he has applied them to these coins.* 



The Agathokles coins (R. R. I. No. 1, As. Trans, in. PL ix. 

 No. 17- v. PL xxxv. No. 9) present the following signs: 



H A0+X £ The penultimate alone is indistinct; Mr. Prinsep 

 presumes it to be X, therefore Agathuklajeg, which he takes for 

 the Greek genitive 'AyaOoicXeovQ ; I should rather prefer *, 

 or jog. Still it appears strange to meet here with a Greek 

 rather than a native form for the Greek. That the Greek c 

 should be expressed by of? orj may be explained by suggesting, 

 that the final c was received as a media (sound) like the z in Zend, 

 to which j would be the most appropriate Indian letter. These 

 coins had another word over the female Bacchanal, of which 

 no undisputed characters have been preserved ; it is perhaps, 

 as Mr. Prinsep supposes, a fragment of raja. 



In the name we observe also a mode of representing vowels 

 purely Indian, viz. a, not expressed by a sign, and u, annexed 

 below to the consonant, as also the ligature ke, which is com- 

 pletely Indian. 



Of Pantaleon have only been discovered coins with legends, 

 likewise in the same Sanscrit characters, As. Trans, vol v. PL 

 xxxv. No. 8, in. PL ix. No. 18, excepting the first letter, the name 



* As. Trans, vi. p. 465. 



