1851.] On Sassanian Coins. 527 



Obverse. Left ^farre^r* 



Eight (literal transcript,) ujILJ}^ ^xH 

 Margin. &&sU ; >jx*» or j&*» 

 Reverse. Right ^^j^»jj «-&*• 

 Margin. ^X« ^UXc jt ^V+Aj <JtjJjL»)j »Ju» ci>lt> ^^ e^|* 



It is necessary to add, that the above are mere tentative readings, 

 the decipherment of the Coin of Abdullah Hajim, which is beyond 

 dispute, being the single exception. 



With an Alphabet so imperfect as the Ancient Persian — Sassanian 

 Pehlvi — consisting of 1 7 literal signs only, convertible largely among 

 themselves, and subjected to considerable variation in provincial value, 

 expressing too a language, the very rudiments of which are but 

 partially known to us, no interpretation however well wrought out 

 per se, can be said to stand good until affirmed by some valid extrane- 

 ous evidence. 



My object indeed in publishing such crude readings is to court 

 criticism, with a sincere view to just correction, but further to give 

 your readers an idea of what the Pehlvi Alphabet is reproachable 

 with, apart from the difficulty of the language it conveys or the 

 imperfection of the expression of its Letters. I may mention that the 

 sign _J stands avowedly for I, a ? ^, £, and £, and is at times undistin- 

 guishable from the nearly similarly outlined form of the same Alpha- 

 bet which corresponds with the modern u» J and j have usually one 

 sign in common as also have the still more puzzling pair j and & 

 their ancient representative also serving to express the silent final. 



And, as a pertinent instance of provincial irregularities, I would cite, 

 the entire disuse of the character *J=w in all Indo-Sassanian coin- 

 legends, that letter being replaced by the 3 answering to the Sanscrit 



But I must not say too much of the obstacles to be encountered in 

 the study of Ancient Persian, or I may chance to deter many otherwise 

 willing scholars from attempting the pursuit of this important branch 

 of Archaeological research. 



Yours, &c. 



Simlah, October 17, 1851. Edward Thomas. 



* In nomine justi judicis. " Anquetil." 



