186 W. Theobald — Notes on some of the symbols found on the [No. 3, 
Here then we see how well the ‘karsha’ would have fitted in with 
the Attic monetary system adopted by the Greek kings of Kabul. It 
is true that it was different in shape, and of rude appearance, but these 
distinctive features were in its favour, as it eould not be mistaken for 
anything else. It was a 4 obol piece even in the dark. 
Besides the ‘karsha,’ half ‘karshas’ also occur sparingly, made 
usually by cutting the larger coin in two and 3-‘ karsha ’ pieces also 
occur, one of which in my possession weighs 175 grains, but Sir Alexander 
Cunningham informs me those larger pieces are of loss pure silver than 
the others, which may account for its greater weight, as if of the same 
fineness the full weight of a 3 ‘ karsha’ piece would bo only 168 grains. 
The coins which have contributed the materials for the present 
paper are a small collection of my own, supplemented by an examination 
of the coins in the British Museum, for casts of some of which I have to 
thank Mr. Poole who kindly undertook to get them made for me. Dr, 
O. Codrington also allowed mo to examine a small collection of his, and 
General Sir Alexander Cunningham placed the whole of his fine collec- 
tion at my disposal for which my best thanks are here gratefully re- 
corded, as it will be seen how many symbols have been added from this last 
source. It is moreover in this last collection only, that any record has 
been preserved of the find spots of any of these coins, through even in 
this case, in too few instances to be of general avail. In future, how- 
ever, lot us hope, that when a ‘find’ takes place of these ‘punch- 
marked’ coins, a record of the symbols on them will be kept, before the 
collection is dispersed or melted down. Not less interesting than the 
explanation of the symbols themselves on these coins is the question of 
their origin, and the area on the earth over which they have spread. 
One thing is certain, viz., that the same identical symbols occurs in such 
diverse lands as Assyria, Egypt, India and Scotland. 
To meet this stubborn fact, one class of thinkers seem to rely on the 
possibility of the same symbols being independently developed by very 
different races, at corresponding stages of their growth and civilization. 
Among those Mr. Thomas must be classed, as while admitting the 
forei<rn element of the Dionysiac panther and vine,* yet thus expresses 
himself of the issue of these pieces as a whole. 
“ In brief, these primitive punch-dies appear to have been the 
produce of purely home fancies and local thought, until wo reach incom- 
prehensible devices composed of lines, angles and circles which clearly 
depart, from Nature’s forms.” Num. Orient. Ancient Indian Weight, p. 
* This ‘ panther and vine,’ is in my opinion no panther but a goat with good 
horns, fig. 221. Tha ‘panther’ on the coins of Agathokles is another matter which 
has no bearing here. 
