________________
August, 1903.)
SOME DOUBTFUL OOINS OF SOUTHERN INDIA.
817
No. 8-A. Thick copper "dub" - Obv. and Rev. similar ; nis., the character "Ra" in Kaparese within an ornamented
scroll, open at top and bottom; a circle of dots round it. I have eleven of these
coing. No. B-B. Thick copper "dub" -
Obo. - Similar design with the Kanarese character Rd in centre. Rev. - Similar, but with the Kanarese ma. The word, of course, is Rama.
These coins are found in the Rêyadrûg (Raidroog) tâlaka of the Bellary district, one of the nearer and more direct dependencies of the kingdom of Vijayanagara. Who coined them ? And when ?
I possess only one coin of the 6-B" type. Are they temple coins, or issues by some local chieftain after the fall of Vijayanagara P
Series No. 7 consists of coins found in the Kûdligi tâloka, Bellary district. They are, ás coins, of the same class as No. 6, being thick and heavy. No. 7-A. Found by Mr. Bruce Foote on an old village site near Harlihâl. Obv. and Rev. - Same type, the principal object being a lozenge-shaped ornament with
nine dots inside it; Hindustani or Persian lettering around. . No. 7-B. Similar, but the lozenge design smaller, and the lettering more prominent. No. 7-0. Similar to 7-A as to size of lozenge, but a large portion of the field occupied by
lettering No. 7-D. Similar, but larger lozenge ; and less prominent, conventional-looking lettering.
The dots here are eleven in number, the central nine assuming the form of a circle.. No. 7-E. Similar to 7-D, bat having more lettering apparent. No. 7-F. Similar lozenge, but with a squatting figure of Narasimba on the opposite side.
[[ have two, besides these, slightly different, and omitted in the plate to save space.] No. 8. Thick copper -
Obv. -Crossed lines, dots in intervals. Is this a Persian inscription Rev. - A legend, apparently in some sort of Arabio oharacters,
[Nos, 8 to 14 are, of course, coins issued by some raling dynasty, and have nothing to do with the temples.]
Set No. 9 consists of Muhammadan copper dybs," mostly from the Bellary district. No. 9-A, Square, thick, copper -
Obv.-To right a trident; to left an axe (1) between horizontal lines; dots in the spaces.
Rep. - A legend. No. 9-B. Round, thick, copper -
Obv. - A trident, with dots.
Rev. - Legend. No. 9-0. Thick copper -
Obv.-Lines which, viewed one way, look trident-like.
Rev. - Legend. No. 9-D, 1, 2, 3. Copper.
Obo. - Legend, with strong horizontal lines. Rev. - Do. do d o. [Putting these three together some expert may be able to identify them.]