70 W. Theobald —Copper Coins of Ancient India, [No. 2, 
FIGURES OF ANIMALS. 
The animals on the coins are not numerous. At the head of the 
list stands the Elephant, but not in the form represented on the 
silver ‘ Puranas.’ After the Elephant comes the humped bull, the 
Lion, the Horse and the Buffalo. Among birds the Peacock and Cock 
and perhaps the ‘whistling’ teal or ‘cotton’ teal. Among reptiles 
the Cobra and a harmless snake or two; one or two species of river 
turtle and a frog, and among fish, the dolphin (on one coin perhaps) 
and two or three undefined species. Conspicuously absent on the 
copper coins are the dog, goat and civet-cat, so frequently seen on the 
silver ‘ Puranas; ’ also the monkey and crocodile; the former, as 
Honuman appearing on the later coinages of Southern India, while the 
Crocodile appears on some Pandhyan coins. E.N.O., IV, fig. 143. 
As regards the Horse the remarks of Sir W. Elliot seem to me to be not 
a little tinged with error and misleading. “ The association of the horse 
with military operations has at all times, and in all countries caused it to 
be emblazoned as a distinguishing mark of warlike nations. Although not 
peculiar to the Buddhists, it wa£ a favorite symbol, and occurs on many 
coins of the period of their ascendancy.” (N.G., p. 246). The horse has 
of course always been regarded as emblematic of war. So Virgil makes 
Anchises exclaim when he sees horses grazing on the shore of Italy— 
“ Bellum, O terra hospita portas; 
“ Bello armantur equi, bellum htec armenta minatur.” 
JEneid III, 539. 
But it may be remarked that the ‘horseman’ so common on Greek 
and Scythian coins, is almost, if not wholly absent on Indian mintages 
of the class I am describing, and surely on a Buddhist coin, the horse 
would not be intended to convey or embody any warlike sentiment. 
On a Buddhist coin the reference would rather be to Siddhartha’s 
famous steed Kanthaka. 
“ Look ! if I touch thy flank 
“ And cry, ‘ On Kantaka,’ let whirlwinds lag 
“ Behind thy course ! Be fire and air, my horse ! 
“ To stead thy Lord; so shalt thou share with him 
“ The greatness of this deed which helps the world.” 
The Light of Asia. Book IV. 
THE ELEPHANT. 
O. Elephant to r. or 1. with a ‘stupa* over the rump. 
(Sj. A.I., III, figs. 1, 2 and 3. (S). 
O. 1 Elephant, full front. A.I., Ill, fig. 5. (S). These 
are all Taxilacoins. 
