140 Dr. Hoernle— Rare Hindu and Muhammadan Coins. [No. 3, 
In addition to this, they show another minor peculiarity. On the 
ordinary copper coins of Abdagases, as well as those of Gondophares 
and other later Bactrian kings, the legend runs continuously all round 
the margin, and is to be read from the inside of the coin. This, how¬ 
ever, is not the nsual arrangement on Bactrian coins. As a rule the legend 
is not written continuonsly, but in two sections. The shorter section of 
the Kharosthi legend (on the reverses), giving the name, commences ou 
the lower right of the margin, and runs along the bottom of the coin, 
from right to left, to the lower left of the margin ; and must be read 
from the outside of the coin. The longer section commences on the 
lower right of the margin, and runs up all round the top of the coin, 
down to the lower left; and must be read from the inside of the coin. 
Both sections, therefore, commence on the lower right of the margin, 
and read from the right to the left, in diverging lines. The same arrange¬ 
ment holds good for the Greek legends (on the obverses) ; only in this 
case, as Greek is read from the left to the right, the starting point of 
the two sections is the lower left of the margin. Now on our new 
Abdagases coins, there is a curious mixture of the Greek and Kharosthi 
arrangements. The legend is written in two sections; the shorter 
section, giving the name, Avadagagasa , begins on the lower right, and 
runs across to the lower left, and reads from the outside of the coin, 
from the right to the left. This shorter section, therefore, follows the 
usual system of writing and reading the Kharosthi script. But the 
longer section commences on the left side, where the shorter section 
ends, and then runs from the left to the right, round the upper part of 
the margin, down to where the shorter section commences; and it reads 
from the inside of the coin. The longer section, therefore, reads from 
the left to the right, like the Greek. In fact, that section is arranged 
and reads like a Greek legend, while the shorter legend is arranged and 
reads like a Kharosthi legend, though both sections are wrritten in 
Kharosthi characters. In other respects the legend is the usual one, viz .:— 
Longer section : Maharajasa tradatasa . 
Shorter ditto : Avadagagasa . 
It is the longer section, therefore, which shows the singularity, 
above referred to, of a Kharosthi legend, reading from the left to the 
right, after the fashion of the ordinary Indian Brahmi script. The 
smaller section, on the other hand, shows the Kharosthi script in its 
ordinary fashion of reading from the right to the left. 
On No. 7 nearly the whole of the legend can be seen. The point of 
junction of the two sections of the legend is on the left margin, just 
opposite tjie middle of the back of the winged figure. Here (reading 
from the \inside of the coin) the two aksaras maha are perfect and 
