1854.] Coins of Indian Buddhist Satraps. 691 



only evidences of it. But I possess some very rude coins of Strato, 

 which were found in company with the others and which were 

 evidently the prototypes of these coins of Eajabala. Three of these 

 pieces are engraved in the accompanying plate. They were found 

 along with the coins of Bajabal in a ruined mound at Mathura. 

 Their weight ranges from 36 to 37 grains. 



Fig. 8. Shows the decline of Greek art, but the legends are still 

 perfect. The Greek legend is BA2IAEQ2 SOTHP02 2TPATONOX 

 The native legend is Mdhardjasa trddatasa Stratasa, which is a literal 

 translation of the Greek. The other coins are still ruder, and their 

 Greek legends have become corrupt, although their native legends 

 remain perfect. 



Fig. 9. BA2IAEOS SOTHPOS P02A 2TQN02. 



Fig. 10. BA2IAE02 20TP02 P02A 2TON02. 



As the native legends of these coins preserve the names and titles 

 of Strato quite perfect, I can only conclude that the latter half of 

 the Greek legend has been jumbled by the engraver of the die, and 

 that the word PO^A has been formed by repeating the last three 

 letters of 20THP02, to fill up the blank left by the omission of the 

 three letters, TPA, of the name. If this conjecture is admitted the 

 corrupted Greek legend of Eajabala' s own coin, Figs. 7, may per- 

 haps be explained in the same way. 



I do not think that the issue of these rude coins can be attributed 

 to Strato himself; but rather to the native princes who afterwards 

 succeeded to his power. The gradual decline of the style of work- 

 manship, and the corruptness of the Greek legends shewn in Eigs. 

 8, 9, 10, make this conjecture the more probable. It is still further 

 strengthened by the known facts of the want of a silver coinage 

 amongst Indo-Scythians, and of the consequent currency of the drach- 

 mas of Menander and Apollodotus even to so late a period as the 

 second century of the Christian era.* 



* The following instances of the continuance of a sovereign's coinage long after 

 his death may be worthy of notice. Feroz Toghlak died in A. H. 790; yet we 

 possess coins bearing his name dated up to A. H. 828. Husen Shah Sherki, of 

 Jaunpore, was dethroned in A. H. 883, and died in 905, yet his coins may be 

 obtained in a perfect series up to 918. Lastly Shah Alam of Delhi died in 1806 ; 

 but the issue of coinage was continued in his name by the East India Company, 



