Coins In Lucknow Mus. Vol 01 [56 MB - IndianCoins.org

ROMAN COIXS.skill ? In modern times tlie gem "besides occurring in the Indian wellhas been found in America (North and South), in Siberia, and at afew places scattered over Europe, particularly at Limoges in France.America and Siberia may be excluded from the source's of ancient supply.The localities in Europe are in regions little known to the Romans andunmentioned by Pliny, who had the best means of information. It isunknown in Ceylon. Its ancient origin seems therefore limited, asPliny says it was, to India, and there it is only known to occur at thelocality in Coimbatore described in this note, where moreover the gemis distinguished by the true sea-green color specified by Pliny elsewhereit is bluish or muddy in tint. It must be added too that most;of the finds of Roman coins have been within a radius of 30 miles ofthis well, and it has been stated to me that between that locality andthe west coast there are plenty of Roman coins, both silver and gold,owned by cultivators who now and then dispose of one or two of themwhen they go to any distant place to a festival."I have been informed by Mr. Henry Sullivan, and the fact is recordedby Mr. R. Sewell G that, when his father, Mr. John Sullivan,was digging the foundations of the house on the hill to the south ofthe lake at Ootacamund, now called Bishopsdown, about the year 1827,he discovered a gold Roman coin, which passed into the possession of Sir"Walter Elliot ;and it is noted by Mr. Sewell that in the valley behindBishopsdown and Fernhill, called by the natives Punthat, are someancient gold workings.In 1838 an aureus of Trajan in fine preservation was picked up bya woman gathering sticks on the side of a stony hill near the villageof Athiral in the Chitwail taluk of the Cuddapah district.Obi'crw. Head of Trajan. IMP. TRAIANO. AVG. GET?. DAC. P.M. TR. p.R'.-ccrse. A soldier with a spear over his shoulder, marching tothe right, cos. v. p,p. S.P.Q.R. OPTIMO. PRINC.A solidus of Zeno was found in company with three or four of thepagodas, called Animitti, from their bearing the impression of anelephant, and with several silver coins of the type figured by Prinsepas No. 9 of his Ceylon series, 7 at the foot of an insulated hill in theTirumaugalum taluk of the province of Madura in May 1839. Thetype of the Roman coin, which has been pierced to be worn as an ornament,bears the armed bust of the emperor, with D.N. ZEXO. PERP. AVG.and the type of Victory holding a long cross. VICTORIA. AVG.G.G. 0. Inthe exergue coxoB. 8Still more recently in June 1840 a hoard of Roman aufei wasdiscovered at the village of Darphal, about 15 miles from Sholapoor.They were contained in a small earthen lota, and only eighteen weresecured, chiefly of the reign of Severus, but a few also of Antoninus,Commodus, Lucius Verus, and (ieta. Drawings of a few have beenseen, and some of these prove to be rare types, such as Severus,ADVEXTVI. AVG. FELIC1SSIMO.F ELICIT AS. SAECVLIFORTVXAE. REDVCI.PROVIDENTIA. Medusa's head.t67-Op. cit., vol. i, p. 226.Journ. As. Soc., Bonp., 1837, vol. vi, p. 298, pi. 20.X". 1 of Akev. ,ii, p. 381.