though I should hesitate to criticise, in any adverse sense, a confessedly incomplete production, it would be unfair to conceal my knowledge of its contents, or to fail to express my great regret that such an accumulation of choice materials should even temporarily be withheld from the general public. At the same time, recognising the excellence of the plates, I hold myself altogether free to draw my own independent deductions from the facsimiles, as if I were inspecting the coins themselves, though I pass by the text, even where I have examined it, as if it were still unwritten. No. 5. M. de Longpérier's plate, No. xiv., fig. 10, is a copy of another coin, with the letters on the obverse, which is not noticed in M. Rollin's Catalogue, but which the author seems to attribute to Vologeses III., as he makes the king of that name, whom Mr. Lindsay supposed to be Vologeses III., into Vologeses IV., and so on in succession, advancing the numbers throughout the series, a process which is necessitated by the discovery of a new Vologeses II. The coin in question is similar in its typical details to that engraved by Mr. Lindsay under No. 86, pl. iv., and is marked by the peculiar tiara, with curled ornaments over the ridge, which is held to be special to this king in his silver currency. No. 6. Mithridates. The usual size. Weight, 53 grains. B. M. OBVERSE. Head of king, with formally pointed beard, flowing hair behind, but flat on the top of the head above the diadem. REVERSE. King seated on his throne extending a bow. Legend. At the top . Mitradat Malka. Imperfect Greek on four sides, 2. IIANOT. 3. ETIITITOU 1. BAIIAEA. ΔΚΙΑΟΥ. 4. ΠΦΑΝΙΟΥΣ ΤΦΑΙΛΛΗΣ. One coin, B.M. A second coin of Gen. Cunningham's is engraved in Longpérier's plates, and is noticed in Rollin's Catalogue under No. 8053. A third coin is also engraved in M. de Longpérier's work. The date of this reign is supposed to be after 418 up to 424. No. 7. Vologeses IV. Silver. OBVERSE. Head similar to that engraved under No. 87, pl. iv. découverte dans son grand ouvrage qui, à si juste titre, a obtenu le grand prix de numismatique. Il donne six rois différents, et tous ont le titre de Malca, faisant suite à leur nom propre." Lindsay. On the field the letters, or properly speaking J, for the vau follows the Chaldæo-Pehlvi model, while the lam, in this instance, is clearly and essentially after the Sassanian form of that consonant. REVERSE. The conventional type of the enthroned Parthian monarch, extending a bow, associated with the usual degraded Greek legends and the monogram for Tambrace. B. M. Two coins. Dates on the larger coins extend from 389 to 439 A.S. No. 8. Vologeses IV. Silver. OBVERSE. King's head, as in the engraving.1 REVERSE. The usual type with the debased Greek legends, but the opening BẠZIAENZ in the top line is replaced by the Chaldæo-Pehlvi Valgashi Malka, "Vologeses king.” Monograms, TA. The Greek has been omitted in the cut. Nine coins in the B. M. Dates range from 460 to 488 a.s. No. 9. Vologeses IV. Bronze. Weight, 104 grains. OBVERSE. King's head with the usual tiara. Monogram, a Greek B. REVERSE. Device,, forming a square, around which is the ... ) ולגשי ארשך מלכין מלכא legend Vologeses, Arsaces, king of kings. 2 I believe I may claim to have been the first to publish decipherments of these legends. They are chiefly remarkable in reference to the present enquiry, as demonstrating a determination on the part of the ruling authorities of the day to emancipate themselves 1 I am indebted to that enthusiastic Numismatist, Richard Sainthill, Esq., of Cork, for the loan of the above, and of the second similar wood engraving, both of which originally appeared in his "Olla Podrida," London, 1853, vol. ii., p. xxii. 2 Numismatic Chronicle, xii. (1849), p. 84; xvii. 164, etc. from the scarcely intelligible Greek, which had sunk into a state of complete degradation in its exotic life on Eastern soil, and to reclaim due priority for the local language and alphabet. The distinctive symbol on the reverse, which has been the subject of much discussion,' I conceive to have been the mere conventional representation of the Sun, based upon ancient models, the worship of which was largely affected by the Arsacidæ. The earliest symbol of the Sun, under the first Chaldæan monarchy, consisted of a simple circle, which in advancing ornamentation was divided into four quarters, and ultimately improved into something in the form of a flower. The primary idea is preserved in Sy "Dominus rotundus," and its effective use under some such form of the figure of the Sun is testified to in the "Imago Solis," which we are told formed so prominent an object in the ceremonial processions of Darius Codomannus. The same simple round orb is used to represent the Sun on the sculptured monuments of Persepolis, where, in the bas-reliefs which ornament each Achæmenian king's tomb, "Mithra" is exhibited in a prominent position in the heavens to the front of the Fire Altar.“ The old symbol seems to have undergone many modifications, according to local treatment, which it is scarcely necessary to trace in this place,' but I may advert to its appearance as the leading symbol on a standard of the Sassanian period, where placed upon a lance-pole and supplemented by a cross bar with flowing horse tails, it is borne in the front of the battle. 1 Pellerin, 3rd Supplement, p. 32; Mionnet, v. p. 686; M. de Luynes', Coins of "Soli," Essai, p. 64; Ariana Antiqua, pl. xv. fig. 9. 2 Moses Khor., French edition, i. 163 and 337. 3 Ancient Monarchies, G. Rawlinson, i. 159; Layard's Nineveh (1853), p. 211. 4 Selden, 223; Hyde, 114. 5 Patrio more Persarum traditum est, orto sole demum procedere. Die jam illustri signum e tabernaculo regis bucina dabatur. Super tabernaculum, unde ab omnibus conspici posset, imago solis crystallo inclusa fulgebat.—Quintus Curtius, iii. c. 3, § 7. 6 See Ker Porter, pl. xvii. p. 519; Flandin, plates 164 bis, 166, 173, 174, 175, 176, 178. 7 Texier, Asie Mineure (Petrium), plates 75-6-7-8-9; Layard's Nineveh and its Remains, ii. 213, 456; Donaldson, Architectura Numismatia, pp. 23, 72; El Gabel (Jupiter Sol) at Emesa, A.D. 222, pp. 76, 80, 88, 98, 105, 106, 127, 150, 330; Levy, Phön. Studien, p. 37; L. Muller, pl. ix. (Tricca); Marsden, Numismata Orientalia, pl. xvii, figs. 1-7; De Sauley, Journal Asiatique, 3me serie (1839), 1 re Lettre; Longpérier, pl. xvii.; Das Labarum und Der Sonnen-Cultus. Edward Rapp. Bonn, 1865. Lajard, Culte de Mithra, pl. xxxv. et seq. 8 Ker Porter, pl. xx; Flandin, 184. No. 10. Vologeses V. קשות OBVERSE. Front face, with bushy side curls. Lindsay. Fig. 93, pl, iv. REVERSE. Similar legends and monogram for Tambrace; but the letters both in the Greek and the Chaldæo-Pehlvi, are even more imperfectly formed and straggling than on previous coinages. Dates range from 502 to 520. No. 11. Vologeses VI. OBVERSE. Profile of king (Lindsay, Nos. 94, 96, pl. iv.) with the letters in the field. The tiara of this king, as well as those of Artavasdes, are marked by an ornamental spiked or feathered bar running up the side of the helmet. REVERSE. Type and legends as in the silver coins of Vologeses IV. Six coins B. M. Dates range from 521 to 538 a.s. No. 12. Artabanus V. OBVERSE. Head of king, with a plain side bar on the tiara, which is less elevated, or, rather, more encroached upon by the succession of fillets than usual. REVERSE. The usual, type and debased Greek legends with the Chaldæo-Pehlvi, in the top line. Seven coins in the B.M. Dates range from 521 to 538 a.s. No. 13. Artavasdes. OBVERSE. Head of the king distinguished by a parted beard and feathered bar on the tiara (Lindsay, No. 95, pl. iv.) behind the head in the field the Chaldæo-Pehlvi letters . REVERSE. The usual type and debased legends, with traces of (Mr. Lindsay's coin is more legible than the Engraver has made it appear). Two coins, B.M. Date 559 a.s. It is curious to observe the contrast in the spelling in the initial portion of these names of Artabanus and Artavasdes. The Hurtabi of the former seems to have been imitated from the oral sound of the Greek 'Apтáßavos, while the Artabazú is clearly the proper Persian form of the name strong arm, as we ، دارت بازو on the coins of פרנבזו and תריבזן have the proximate synonyms the Achæmenian Satraps, Tiribazes and Pharnabazes. SUB-PARTHIAN COINS. No. 14. Silver. Weight, 25 grs. B. M. Two coins. Pl. fig. 3. OBVERSE. Head of king to the left, similar in its details to certain examples of the portrait of Phraates IV.2 Crescent (and star?) in the field. Legend, in mixed Chaldæo and Sassanian Pehlvi,...nnn& ? منوشتري for منشتري may be possibly read as ملكين No. 15, Silver. Plate, fig. 4. OBVERSE. Head to the left, with Parthian tiara. Legend. ? اتوردت ملكا = 22وم ما REVERSE. Head to the left, with head-dress, arranged after the manner but slightly differing from Arsacidan models. Legend, imperfect. بري Other obverse devices of similar character, conjoined with a reverse Arab head, like the above, but altogether wanting in the circular legend, display the title of K, N. C. xii. fig. 3; while the legends on the reverse of a similar coin (Num. Chron. xii. fig. 4) seem to run king, son of Kamiút, king" ,Kobid,כואת מלכא בריי כמיות מלכא No. 16. Silver. Weight. Plate, fig. 5. OBVERSE. Head with Parthian tiara, ornamented with a crescent and a star, to the left. Legend. Obscure. REVERSE. Head with the hair arranged after an exceptional Arsacidan fashion. - ان شتري .Legend 1 M. de Luynes, Pl. i., figs. 1-3, 4, etc., ('Apraîol, Herodotus, vii. 61) and. 2 Lindsay, iii. 52; Longpérier, ix. 9. ? magnus., Zend ereta, àpra brachium. |