Indian Antiquary Vol 28

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 66

52
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1899.
is shown in the subjoined Woodcut No. 5, which also shows the relative position of the three synıbols in the legend.
No. 6.
4 Xa
HID*
TII
TO
No. I is the usual forun. No. V shows a form of the 3rd symbol which I have noticed on coins of the 3rd and 4th varieties. I read the symbols as follows:
luk (1) tchu (2) tsien (8), i.e., “ six Tchu (of) money." The second and third symbols of this legend are the same as the fourth and sixth of the longer one. The first symbol, as shown in Figure III, is that given by Dr. T. de Lacou perie, **page xl of his Introduction to the British Museum Catalogue, for luh 'six, The correponding forms in tig. I, II and IV are merely ornamental modifications. A form of luh, much like that in fig. II and IV, occurs in coin No. 453, of the Br. Mus. Cat., p. 428. Compare also the forms of luh in coins No. 753, 816, 159-161..
The Chinese legends state the weight of the coins. According to them the large coins should normally weigh one liang and four tohu, while the small coins should weigh six tchu. As we shall see presently, these Indo-Chinese coins must be referred to the first and second centuries A. D. That is the time of the Han dynasty in China. That dynasty followed the monetary system of the preceding Tsin dynasty which had doubled the ancient standard. According to this doubled standard the liang weighed about 195 grains, and the tchu, about 8.12 grains. Accordingly the normal weight of the large coins should be approximately 227-48 grains, and of the small coins, 48-72 grains. A reference to the preceding list will show that the actual weights of the coins' vary widely from this normal, even fully allowing for much wear and tear. This, however, was the usual condition of the currency in China. Dr. T. de Lacou perie in his Introduction to the British Museum Catalogue (p. xxii, xxiv) shows how numerous the variants in weight were, and how “far they were from being approximate to the current standard." The variations of the actual from the normal weight appear to have been particularly great under the Han dynasty, for the intermediate usurper Sia Wang Mang (6-25 A. D.) "began by annulling the decrees enacted by the Han dynasty, as be wanted to return to the money of the Tchou dynasty, where the mother and the child' (i. e., divisionary piece) weighed in proportion to each other, similarly to those issued by king Wang in 523 B. C." In order to see how far the Indo-Chinese coins conform to the normal weight, we must test them by their average weight. Judged by this test they, curiously enough, very nearly agree with what should be their normal weight. For the average weight of the nine large coins is 213-44 grains (normal 227-48), and of the 63 small coins, 47.857 (normal 48-72). The agreement in the case of the large coins would probably be still greater, if we had a larger number of them to make up the average.
The date of these Indo-Chinese coins can be approximately determined by the following considerations. The fact of their superscriptions being in Indian and Chinese characters and
A
See Introduction to the Br. Mus. Cat., pp. alil-xliv.
Eee p. 8€5 of the Brit. Mus. Catalogue. • The weight of the Brit. Mus, specimen, figured on p. 894 of the Catalogue, would seem to be 220 grains ; for on p. xliii of the Introduction it is said "the Bactro- Chinese coin of a liang 4 tchu - 220 gre." There is here some confusion; the coin only weighs 1 liang 4 tchu of the Han standard, which is equal to 2 liang and 8tch of the old standard ; and both alike are equal to 227'48 grains (normal).