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

ROMAN COINS. 21It will be observed that there are two breaks iu the series, viz.,from68 to 81 A.D., and again from 138 to 180 A.D. On the whole, however,we have reason to be thankful for these rare and interesting records ofthe past,and it is quite within the range of possibility that the gapsmay, in the course of time, be dulyfilledup by future finds of hiddentreasure. As the collection stands even now, it looks so complete thatone might almost suppose the coins had been carried to the East in thecabinet of some ancient coin collector, instead of having been introducedfor purposes of commerce. It is to be regretted that there are nocoins of the emperors who succeeded Commodus and reigned until theupper empire ceased and the anarchy of the thirty tyrants began."In 1878 a find of Roman coins was made near Karur in the Coimbatoredistrict, concerning which the Rev. Henry Little writes asfollows 25 " : One afternoon, last August (1882), while busy in my study,a native friend entered and placed on my table six small pieces of flatmetal, almost round and a little larger than four-anna pieces, very blacklooking,and much covered with earthy matter. To the inquiry whatare these, an answer to the effect that they might be old Indian coinswas returned, and then other matters were talked about. During thisconversation one of the pieces of medal was rubbed quite mechanicallya few times over the cloth on the table, and, when my eye next fell uponit, in silvery sheen and in somewhat antique Roman characters thereappeared to my astonished gaze the letters MAX .... PONT. I at oncesaw that the black lumps in my hand were Roman coins, and whenthey had been cleaned by acid and ' the image and superscription 'brought out there was no further room for doubt.had about a hundred of these coins, and arrangements were made toobtain possession of them as expeditionary as possible. It seems theywere dug up by a famine cooly in 1878 while engaged in deepening awater-course near Karur in the Coimbatore district, and that therewere about 500 of them in an earthen pot. Two-thirds were melted toI learnt that a Sowearmake bangles and what fell to me was the remainder.My Roman coins are silver denarii, the New Testament penny .For five centuries after the founding of Rome, that isup to the thirdcentury B.C., the Romans nad copper money only. In 269 B.C.silver coins were struck, and during the ascendency of Julius Caesar agold coinage was introduced, the commonest piece being the aurcH,^equal to 25 denarii. The weight of the denarius varied. In the timeof Augustus 84 were struck for a Roman pound, making each coin to beabout 60 grains. Several of those in my possession are about 58 grainsin weight, showing that the lapse of time has told very little uponthem, and with respect to other matters the same remark applies. Theletters of the inscriptions are clear and the ' image ' of the emperors isvery bold and distinct, suggesting the inference that soon after theyleft the mint these coins were buried, and so suffered little loss bypassing frequently from hand to hand." Twenty-seven of the coins belong to the reign of Augustus, andninety to that of Tiberius. Althoughall the former commemorate thesame event, they are not all from one die. On the obverse of thesecoins is a laureate head of Augustus, facing to the right, and beginningfrom the right-hand side of the bust the inscription runs as follows :25Madias Christian College Magazine, October 1883, pp. 219-228.