The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

16 PROCEEDINGS OF THE
Barclay V. Head, and those for Vols. xi. to xx. by Mr.
H. W. Henfrey. 1
Turning now to the papers which have been
brought before uo during the past year, it will, I think, be found
that they are not wanting in interest or importance, though, as
a whole, they may not quite come up to the standard of some
few former years, when the Society has been exceptionally
favoured.
As usual the communications made to the Society range over
a wide area, both in time and space, from the earliest coins of
Greece to the modern tradesmen's tokens, and from Afghanistan
to Ireland.
Among the papers relating
to ancient numismatics are
several by our accomplished Foreign Secretary, Professor Percy
Gardner. In the first of these he has made us acquainted with
several remarkable coins of Syria and Bactria, some of which
have been recently acquired for the national collection. Fore-
most among these is the tetradrachm of Agathocles,
with the
legend AAEZANAPOY TOY 4>IAinnOY at the side of
the lion's skin covered head on the obverse. On analogous
pieces struck under Agathocles, the heads of Euthydemus,
Diodotus and Antiochus were already known, while that of
Diodotus occurs on a coin of Antimachus ; and the heads of
Eucratides, Heliocles, and Laodice are portrayed on another coin.
As Professor Gardner points out, the discovery of this coin with
the head of Alexander goes far to prove that the whole of these
pieces are to be regarded as medals rather than as coins, and
tends to corroborate in a remarkable manner the view of
Dr. von Sallet, which was founded on the evidence of medals
bearing the names of Bactrian princes only. From some other
coins bearing the names of Seleucus and Antiochus, the former
only having the title of King,
the inference is drawn that
Antiochus became a colleague of his father and struck these
1 We have now to lament the early death of this ardent
young numismatist, which took place on July 31, 1881.