[ 79i ] 
CIX. A Dijjertation upon the Phoenician 
Numeral Chara&ers antiently ufed at Si- 
don. In a Letter to the Rev. Thomas 
Birch, D. D. Secret. R. S. from the Rev. 
John Swinton, M. A. of Chrift-Church* 
Oxon,. F. R. S. 
Reverend Sir, 
Rcad j 7 ^g G ‘ 7 ’ TTAVING, by the afMance of the 
O Palmyrene numeral characters, 
lately made a difcovery, which may perhaps here- 
after be of confiderable fervice to chronology • 1 
could not longer defer, though now deeply engaged 
in other matters, communicating it to the Royal 
Society. Nor will the memoir containing this* I 
flatter myfelf, be deemed altogether unworthy the 
attention of that learned and illuftrious body. * For 
unlefs I am greatly deceived, it will bid fair to afcer- 
tain, with a fufficient degree of precifion, the Phoe- 
nician dates of feveral antient Sidonian coins, one of 
which was ftruck above a century before the birth 
of Christ, hitherto utterly unknown; and evince 
the notation of the Phoenicians, at lead thofe of Si- 
don, when they firft appeared, to have been ex- 
tremely fimilar to, if not nearly the fame with that 
of the Palmyrenes. 5 
r. 
A fmall brafs coin of Sidon (i), now in my poi- 
leffion, exhibits on the reverfe three Phoenician let- 
ters. 
(i) See Plate xxxi. 
5 
