JOURNAL 



ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



No. VII.— 1851 



An account of eight Kufic Silver Coins. — By E. Thomas, Esq. C. S. 



During Sir Henry Elliot's late march to Peshawur, with the camp 

 of the Governor- General, he availed himself of the opportunity to col- 

 lect such ancient coins and medals as fell in his way, and I was subse- 

 quently permitted to examine these acquisitions in detail. The bulk 

 of the collection naturally consisted of either purely local coins or 

 mintages of proximate lands, but among the rest were found several 

 specimens of Central Asian Kufic Coinages of various dates and king- 

 doms. 



Monies of these classes are comparatively well known in Europe, in 

 consequence of the number of pieces that find their way into our 

 western world, via Russia, Turkey, &c, as well as from the full illus- 

 tration these travellers receive from the willing labours of continental 

 Numismatists. 



In this country, medals of this description, though often falling 

 into the hands of Coin-collectors, together with more easily legible 

 and more valued specimens — are usually consigned to the space in each 

 cabinet allotted to the class Ignoti, or permitted to remain in un- 

 honoured association with the tenants of the miscellaneous drawer. 



To remedy in a measure the reproach this state of things involves, 

 and as introductory to the further study of similar classes of coins, I 

 propose to describe briefly such of these pieces as have found a place in 

 Sir H. M. E.'s collection — to offer an illustration of a type of each 

 variety, and to introduce Indian readers to an acquaintance with the 



No. L. — New Series. 3 z 



