209 
1879.] A. Cunningham— On Coins from the Ahin Posh Tope. 
posh cannot be dated earlier than A. D. 120, and may possibly be as late 
as A. D. 110. 
Regarding the Indo-Scythian coins, it is worthy of note that several 
of the specimens of Wema Kadphises are so very much worn as to have 
lost 10 grains in weight. Some of Kanishka’s coins also are much worn, 
and the single specimen with Salene on the reverse has once had a ring for 
hanging it from the neck. The single coin of Huvishka is in very good 
preservation. 
If we regard these Indo-Scythian coins as contemporary with those of 
the Roman Emperors, then Wema Kadphises cannot be placed much earlier 
than the reign of Domitian, or about A. D. 70 or 80, while Kanishka and 
Huvishka would be assigned to 100 and 130 A. D. But I do not consider 
that there is any absolute necessity for making these Indo-Scythian Princes 
contemporary with the building of the Stupa. From all that I have seen 
of their gold coins I am inclined to think that they must have continued 
in circulation for more than a century before the issue of the coinage of 
the later Princes bearing Sanskrit letters. This view is strongly supported 
by the statements of the Chinese authorities which place the assumption 
of supreme power by the “ king of the Kushans” not later than B. C. 
26 ; and though they say that he was 80 years of age when he died, it is 
clear that his son Yen-Kaoching, or Wema Kadphises, ought to have suc¬ 
ceeded to the throne before 25 A. D. 
Amongst the plaster fragments from the Ahin-posh Stupa which I 
have lately received there is one which, in the absence of the coins, would 
be sufficient to prove that the Tope was built during, the period of Roman 
ascendancy. This fragment is the corner of a Homan Ionic capital. The 
volute is there, although it has no projection, but the capital is exactly the 
same on the two adjacent faces, which agrees with the Roman Ionic order, 
and differs entirely from the Greek. Apparently the whole of the pilasters 
of the Stupa must have been of this style, as the size of the capital exactly 
fits their shafts. In the accompanying Plate (see Plate XI) I have given 
a restored sketch of this capital with the base of one of the actual pilasters 
of the Stupa, as they now stand. 
In the same Plate I have inserted several other fragments, some, of 
which I have been able to restore as small examples in plaster of the Indo- 
Persian and Indo-Corinthian Pillars. Amongst the fragments also there 
are two acanthus leaves, each with a figure of Buddha seated upon it, as in 
the fine stone capitals which I have already made known. There are many 
pieces of large leaves, and of small flowered ornament; but I have found 
it impossible to fit any two of them together. The stucco of all these frag¬ 
ments is remarkably hard and heavy. All the small pieces were made in 
