178 
HINTS TO COIX-COLLECTOHS 
paratively litfle attention to the more peaceful avocations oi 
her Company. Hence, "while we find a large variety of issues 
of the English mints set up in various places as they fell under 
her power, and once even in Pondicherry (?), the French 
capital itself, during a temporary occupation, we find the 
coins struck by the French to have been comparatively few 
in number and meagre in variety of design. All appear to 
have borne on the obverse either the cock or fleur-de-lis, 
and on the reverse either the date, the word q^<y<2<F/fl, or 
a design somewhat resembling that found on the coins of 
Travancore. The silver coins occur in two sizes, the one 
PI III N 45 46 approximately 65 grains, the 
other about 23. These bear either the 
cock or several fleurs-de-lis on the obverse and on the 
reverse the design I have already alluded to, though what 
it is intended to represent I have never been able to ascer- 
tain. The earlier copper issues are of thick copper and bear 
on one side the date only and on the other usually five fleurs- 
de-lis. The latter are in two sizes, the largest of which is 
represented in No. 47, and bear either the cock or a single 
fleur-de-lis, and on the reverse the mint 
ri. Ill, No. 47. ! 
town i^^s'Qffifl (Puducheri) in Tamil. 
The next smaller size exactly corresponds -nith the fleur-de-lis 
type just described, and weighs about 30 grains, while the 
smallest of all bears the unintelligible sign on one side and 
the name of the usual mint town on the other. This same 
design may also have been used by the Dutch, as we find one 
series of coins with it on one side and on the other the mint 
iovfu jsn-suuili^asBTLo (Negapatam). Owing to the want of 
offieial records on the subject, it is in some instances well 
nigh impossible to know to what mint or to what nation to 
apply some of these small copper pieces. Two such I figure 
as Nos. 48 and 49. The former of these bears on one side 
PI. IV, Nos. 48, 49. Pl^i'^b' enough the word u^S^Qs^rfi, but, as 
is often the case, ouh' one or two letters 
of the name on the reverse arc complete, It umy not impro- 
