568 Ancient Indian Numerals. [No. 1 . 



The figure for eighty, which is composed of two cones touching 

 each other with their bases forming one horizontal line — does not 

 seem susceptible of resolution into any alphabetical element, unless 

 by a rather forced construction it were compared to a Pali 1£ cTili. 

 This is the lapidary form of the symbol, on the silver coins it 

 appears as a simple circle with a perpendicular line as its diameter ; 

 but on the leaden pieces of the Sah kings* it retains the squarely- 

 based outline, while the Eock inscriptions and the copper-plates at 

 times, present us with a less formal contour of the cipher. 



The ninety is formed in the one case by a duplication of the figure 

 for eighty, when the flat basis of the single eiglity is absorbed into 

 the other and the combination presents four rounded corners. The 

 numismatic character again is constructed more simply, but some- 

 what after the same scheme, by adding a second diameter to the 

 circle at right angles to the single line in the cipher for 80. Though 

 the general outline of the lapidary symbol is still retained upon 

 some specimens of the coinage. I may here notice incidentally, 

 that both these forms are to be found on the stone blocks of the 

 ancient Hindu temples, collected by the Mohammedans and used in 

 the construction of the mosque of the Kuttub at Dehli. 



There is, I think, a cursive form of this figure of ninety, which 

 occurs on a coin of Swami Rudra Sah in the decimal place in the 

 date ; an imperfect copy of this may be seen in No. 3, page 38, 

 J". E. A. S. XII. and in the third cipher for ninety in the accom- 

 panying plate. 



It remains to speak of the peculiarities of the Gupta decimals, 

 I am able to quote the outlines only of four out of the needful nine. 



The 6 or 20 is found in its normal state on the coins of Kumara 

 Gupta. 



Skanda Gupta discloses two varieties of decimals, the one a form 

 like the first Guzrat symbol for ten. but turned in a different direc- 

 tion and possessed of an additional small cross at the top opening* 

 the lower part of the figure however, is indistinct on loth the speci- 

 mens on which it occurs. The other sign seems to consist of the 



letter 7T. 



And lastly Buddha Gupta's coinage supplies two possibly varying 

 * J. R. A. S. XII. PI. II. 27, 28, 30, 31. 



