Indian Antiquary Vol 12

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 15

JANUARY, 1883.] INDO-SCYTHIAN COINS, WITH HINDI LEGENDS.
BHRI Shaka.
No. 4 B.M. Gen. Cunningham's collection. Obverse. Below the army Bhri. Outside the spear Shaka, with traces of Scythic letters on the margin.
Reverse. As usual.
Mr. Theobald has a second specimen with this name.
BHU Shaka.
No. 5. Gold. Unique ? India Office collection. Obverse. Below the army Bhu. Outside the spear, Shaka.
Margin. Scythic legend. Below, to the right of the figure f bhi or a ti?
Beverse. Seated female, with cornucopia and Scythic monogram. Margin, legend in Scythic or corrupt Greek?
Sayam Shaka. No. 6. Gold. Common.
Obverse. Below the arm, Sayam. To the left Bh. Outside the spear, Shaka. Some specimens have, ch in lieu of bh. Reverse. The usual figure with Scythic legend. Senam Shaka. No. 7. Gold. Common.
Obverse. Below the arm,
Senam.
Outside the spear, Shaka. To the left ч, Bh. Reverse. As usual.
There is always a degree of doubt, in these perpendicular legends, not only as to where the top vowel should come in, amid the down line or group of consonants, but likewise what the circular flourish of the vowel itself should stand for, the more frequent i, or the less common e ? the a is definite enough in the coin legends, which is not always the case in some of the Mathura Inscriptions." I have assumed that when the vowel is placed over the first limb of an open consonant it implies e. But this theory is quite open to correction. General Cunningham in 1843 read the name, on this class of coins, as "Sita Palaka or Sita-maka"
35 J. R. A. 8. vol. V, N. S. (1871), Professor Dowson's article, p. 182 and Plates 1, 2, 3.
Numismatic Chronicle, vol. VI, o. s., p. 22, Plate figure 3. Prinsep's Essays, alphabets, plate xxxviii, vol. II, page 40; Burgess' Alphabets, in Report Arch. Surv. West
9
The , t, however, on the large number of specimens now available, seems to be cut more or less flat on the lower limb, which converts it preferentially into : the previous interpretation, moreover, took no note of the obvious anusudra at the foot of the name. The , of the Girnår Bridge Inscription so far assimilates to the t, that its lower limb is curved, but the curve of the t in the same series is much more pronounced; covering, indeed, nearly threefourths of a circle." Some objection might be taken to the indifferent use of the two forms of
for one and the same consonant, but in the MathurâInscriptions this apparent inconvenience seems to have been altogether disregarded." II-KUSHAN BRANCH.
No. 8. Very common.
Prinsep's Essays, Pl. xxii, fig. 13, p. 227 and Pl. xxx. fig. 19, p. 376.
Ariana Antiqua, Pl. xviii, figs. 27-28, p. 427. Obverse. The name on these very numerous mintages may be variously rendered from the earliest, kad, to an apparent, kadi-the old Persian kadi, king, lord ?-and onwards to kidu, or, kidara. The earlier renderings might be doubtfully associated with the celebrated Panjab king Hodi.""
Beyond the spear, kashan. Then in these instances takes the form of the Allahabad and Kutila types of n, rather than the severe Asoka form noticed in No. 7.
The letters to the right hand of the standing figure near the small altar vary extensively, and no very definite classification can be arrived at at present.
III-GADAHA BRANCH.
No. 9. Gold, rare, unpublished. Coins in B. M. Obverse. Below the arm, a name very similar to those found on the coins classed under No. 8.. There is, however, this marked distinction that an T, r, is inserted, in the central line, below India, vol. IV, pl V, No. 13, Kehatrapa; and the RudradAma Inscriptions, plate xiv, Archeological Survey of Western India, vol. II, 1874-75.
J. R. A. S. aupra cit. Inscriptions IX, X, &c. 29 J. A. 8. B. 1863, p. 17.