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VIII. 
With regard to monograms in general, it may not 
be improper to remark, that they were known and 
ufed in feveral parts of the eaft, from pretty remote 
antiquity. They occur on fome of the Hebrew 
(iB), or Samaritan, and Phoenician coins, as well 
as on the Greek and Roman. I have an exceeding 
curious Hebrew, or Samaritan, coin, coeval 
with Simon the Juft, prince and high prieft of 
the Jews, with a monogram upon it ; of which, as it 
has never yet been communicated to the learned 
world, and is anterior to all thofe ftruck by that prince 
hitherto publifhed, I may perhaps fend you a more 
diftindt and particular account, in fome future pa- 
per. That the Phoenicians were not unacquainted 
with monograms, has been admitted by the learned 
and ingenious M. pellerin (19), and is evinced 
by one or two of the Phoenician infcriptions 
on the hones found in the (20) ruins of citium. 
That the arabs likewife antiently ufed them, 
on certain occafions, we learn from (21) the li- 
gatures of the kufic letters, and the infcriptions 
flill remaining on feveral of the earlier Arabic 
coins.. Nay, they are not dilufed amongft the 
modern Arabs,, in their common writing, even at. 
( 18) Peller. Let.I. Sur diverfes Medailles, p. c i — 54. A Franc- 
fort, 1770. 
( 19) Idem ibid. 
(20) Poc .DeJ'cript. of the Eaft, Vol.II. Par. I. Tab.XXXilT. 
n. 12, 18, 31. p. 213. Lond. 1745. 
(21) Vid. Monarch. Afiatico- Saracen. Stat. &c. uluftrat, a 
M. Georg. Jacob. Kehr, Sleufinga-Franc. Oriental, Tab. 1 . 
ct II,. p. i, et alib. Lipfoe, 1724. 
this-, 
