390 Memo, on some ancient gold coins. [No. 5. 



Memo, by Major M. Kittoe, Archaeological Enquirer, on some An- 

 cient gold coins found near Benares, in 1851, and submitted by the 

 Government of India for the inspection of the Members of the 

 Asiatic Society. 



These coins, which are all gold, of different weight and quality, were 

 of a trove of ninety in number, that is, such number were delivered 

 into the treasury. They were found, with about 70 more, by some 

 villagers, buried in a copper vessel, in a mound on which stands 

 the village of Bhursur, in purgunnah Bhurwal and Thana Chundow- 

 lee, about twelve miles from Benares, between the Ganges and Caram- 

 nassa. 



Bhursur is the site of one of the many ancient cities the names of 

 which are lost. The mound is high and extensive — there is a tradi- 

 tion of Us having been the stronghold of the rajahs of old. A 

 trench was being dug, when amongst some bricks and rubbish the 

 trove was made : for some time it was kept a secret, the copper vessel 

 was destroyed, and about 70 of the coins were sold and melted 

 down ; a dispute arose, when one of the disputants gave information, 

 and they were confiscated. 



Of the whole number 71 were coins of Chandra Gupta, 69 being 

 of one type of his coinage. Of these, four were retained of the 

 most perfect and the remainder were sold by auction ; they were 

 all more or less defective, and but few of them had even a por- 

 tion of the legend round the rim perfect, but the name *§ Chandra 

 beneath the left arm of the figure was distinct in all of them. 



Of the 32 coins retained a list is here annexed. 



The two last coins on the list are decidedly of an unpublished type, 

 the name is not clear in either. 



Some doubt may exist as to the reading of one of the Kumaras — 

 on the obverse the letter ^ " ku" (query short for Kumara ?) is clear, 

 but on the reverse it seems to read Sri Mahesha or Mahendra per- 

 haps : the affix "Sri" seems to point to its being rather the name 

 of the prince than his title — which is sometimes Ajeet Mahendra 



