filia, Athens, and a few other states are common; the drachmas and coins of leffer fize are worth about 5s. each; the didrachms, tetradrachms, &c. from 5s. to ros. according to their fize aud beauty; the largeft, ceteris paribus, being most valuable. The tetradrachms of cities, whofe coins are common, are worth from 78. 6d. to 218.; but it is impoflible to put a value upon the rare civic coins: Ten guineas have been given for a single one.

The most rare of the confular ROMAN coins are thofe reftored by Trajan: Of the others, the gold confular coins are the moft rare, and the filver the moft common; excepting the coin of BRUTUS with the cap of Liberty, and a few others Some of the Roman imperial coins are very fcarce, par ticularly thofe of OTHо in brafs; nor does his portrait occur at all on any coin ftruck at Rome, owing to the fhortnefs of his reign. His head upon the brafs coins of Egypt and Antioch is very badly executed, as well as all the other imperial coins of Greek cities. The beft likenefs is on his gold and filver coins; the latter of which are com mon. The Greek and Egyptian coins are all of fmall or midding fizes, and have various reverfes; thofe of Antioch, as well as moft of its other im perial coins, have Latin legends. They have no other reverses but S. C. in a wreath, excepting in one or two of the large and middle brafs, where the infcriptions are Greek. Latin coins of Otho in brafs, with figures on the reverse, are reckon ed falfe, though in the cabinet of D'Ennery at Paris there was an Otho in middle brafs, reftored by Titus, which was esteemed genuine by connoiffeurs.

The leaden coins of Rome are very rare: Moft of them are pieces ftruck or caft or occafion of the Saturnalia; others are tickets for feftivals and exhibitions. The tickets for theatres were made of lead, as were also the contornicte, perpetual tickets, like the English filver tickets for the opea. Leaden medallions are alfo found below the foundations of pillars and other public buildings, to perpetuate the memory of the founders. From the time of Auguftus leaden feals were alfo ufed. A work of Ticorini on this fubject, entitled Piombi Antiochi, is much recommended by Mr Pinkerton. The Roman coins which have been blundered in the manner formerly mentioned, are very rare, and undefervedly valued by connoiffeurs. The blunders in the legends of thefe coins, which are propably the mere effects of accidents, have been fo far mistaken by fome medallifts, as to have given life to imaginary emperors who never exed. A coin of Fauftina, which has on the reverte SoUSTI. S. c. puzzled all the German antiquares, till Klotz ridiculed their investigations by the following humorous interpretation: Sine omni utilitate fectamini tantas ineptias !

As to the Roman imperial coins, fome of thofe which belong to the emperors whofe coins are numerous, may yet be extremely valuable by having uncommon reverfes. Mr Pinkerton points out one of Auguftus, with the legend C. MARIUS TROGVS, which is worth 3 guineas, though the fiver coins of Auguftus in general are not worth above 1s. In like manner the common gold coins of Trajan are not worth above 20s. while thofe

with BASILICA ULPIA, FORUM TRAJANI, Divi NERVA ET TRAJANUS, PATER, DIVI NERVA ET PLATINA AUG. PROFECTIO AUG. REGNA ASSIGNATA, REX PARTHUS, and fome others, draw from 37. to 67. The ticket medals belonging to the fenate are worth from 35. to 10s. The ancient Roman ASSES are worth from 28. to al. according to the fingularity of their devices. The name of weights, given to the ancient Roman affes, is (fays Mr Pinkerton,) exceedingly improper, as the Romans had weights of lead and brass fides, without the leaft appearance of a portrait upon them. Thefe denote the weight by the number of knobs, and have likewife fmall leurettes engraved upon them. Whenever, there fore, (he adds) we meet with a piece of metal ftamped on both fides, with bufts and figures, we may lay it down as a certain rule, that it is a coin; but when flightly ornamented, and marked on one fide only, we may with equal certainty conclude it to be a weight.

CONSULAR gold coins are worth from 20s. to 51. Pompey with his fons 211. and the two Bruti 251. The filver coins are univerfally worth from is. to 2s. 6d. excepting that of the cap of Liberty, and a few others, which, if genuine, will bring from ros. to 31. The confular copper bears an equal price with the filver, but is more rare; the confular filver coins reftored by Trajan are worth 20s. each.

Of the coins of other nations, thofe of HILDERIC, K. of the VANDALS, in filver, are worth ros. the fmall brats of ATHANARIC, 58.; the gold of THEODORIC, 40s.; the 2d brafs of Theodahat, 58; the 2d brafs of Badueta, being rare, are worth Jos.; the 3d brafs 38. each. Coins and medals with unknown characters are always fcarce and dear.

Ancient BRITISH coins are very rare, and worth from 10s. to 2 guineas each, fometimes much more. The heptarchic coins of England are generally rare, except thofe called STYCAS, which are very common, as well as those of Burgred, K. of Mercia. The coins of ALFRED the Great with his buft are fcarce, and his other money much more fo. Thofe of Hardy-Knute are so rare, that it was denied they had any existence; till Mr Pinkerton informed the public, that there are three in the British Mufeum, upon all of which the name HARTHECNUT is quite legible. Saxon pennies of the Heptarchy are rare, and worth from 10s. to ten pounds, according to their fearcity and prefervation. Coins of Edward the Contefior are pretty plentiful; others are rare, and worth from 10. to a guineas; while two of Hardy Knute are worth no lefs than ten guineas each.

The coins of the ENGLISH monarchs after the conqueft are common, except thofe of Richard I and John, not one of which is to be met with ; though there are fome French coins of Richard I. and Irish ones of K. John. "Leake," fays Mr Pinkerton, "made a ttrange blunder in afcribing coins of different kings with 2 faces, and otherwife fpoiled in the flamping, to Richard I.; in which, as ufual, he has been followed by a milled number." The gold medals of Henry VIII. in 1545, and the coronation medals of Edward VI.

A a 2

are

are worth 201. each; the Mary of Trezzo, 31. Simon's head of Thurloe in gold, is worth 121.; his oval medal in gold, upon Blake's naval victory, is worth 30l.; and his trial piece, (fays Pinkerton,) if fold, would bring a ftill higher price. The medals of Q. Anne, which are intrinfically worth 24 guineas, fell at 31. each; the filver, of the fize of a crown, at tos.: and the copper from gs. to xos, Daffier's copper pieces fell at from 28. to 5s. and a few ftill higher.

The English coins ftruck in Ireland are of much the fame value with thofe ftruck in England; but the St Patrick's halfpence and farthings are rather scarce, and the rare crown of white metal is worth 41. The gun money of James II. and most other Irish coins, are very common.

The Scottish gold coins fell higher than the English, but the others are on a par, Coins of ALEXANDER I. and II. are rather scarce, but thofe of Alexander III. are pretty plentiful. Thofe of John Baliol are rare, and none of Edward Baliol are to be found. The fhilling of Q. MARY, with her buft is rare, and fells for no less than 30l,; the half for 31.; and the royal for 5 guineas. The French teftoon of Francis and Mary brings ten guineas; and the Scottish one of Mary and Henry would bring 5cl.; as would alfo the medal of James IV. The coronation medal of Francis and Mary is worth 2ol. Briot's coronation medal fold, in 1755, for only two guineas at Dr Mead's fale, but would now bring 20l. if fold according to its rarity.

SECT, VIII. Of the ARRANGEMENT of COINS

and MEDALS.

ONE of the principal ufes of medals being the elucidation of ancient hiftory, the arrangement of medals is the first thing that occurs in the formation of a cabinet. The most ancient medals extant are thofe of Alexander I. of Macedon, who began to reign about for years before Chrift. The fcries ought, therefore, to begin with him, and to be fucceeded by the medals of Sicily, Caria, Cy. prus, Heraclea, and Pontus. Then follow Egypt, Syria, the Cimmerian Bofphorus, Thrace, Bithynia, Parthia, Armenia, Damafcus, Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, Pergamus, Galatia, Cicilia, Sparta, Pæonia, Epirus, Illyricum, Gaul, and the Alps, including the space of time from Alexander the Great to the birth of Chrift, which is to be accounted the third medallic feries of ancient monarchs. The laft feries goes down to the 4th century, including fome of the monarchs of Thrace, Bofphorus, and Parthia, with those of Comagene, Edeffa or Offhoene, Mauritania, and Judæa. A moft diftinct feries is formed by the Roman emperors, from Julius Cæfar to the deftruction of Rome by the Goths; nay, for a much longer pegiod, were it not, that towards the latter part of it the coins become fo barbarous as to deftroy the beauty of the collection. Many feries may be formed of modern potentates,

Medals likewife afford a good number of portraits of illuftrious men; but they cannot easily be arranged in chronological order, so that a feries of them is not to be expected. It is likewife eain to attempt the formation of a series of gods

THE names of the deities reprefented on the reverdes of Greek coins are never expreffed; per haps, as Mr Pinkerton supposes, out of piety, a symbolical representation of their attributes being all that they thought proper to delineate; but the Roman coins always express the name, frequently with an adjunct, as VENERI VICTRICI, &c. In others, the name of the emperor or emprefs is added; as PUDICITIÆ AUGUSTÆ, round an image of Modefty; VIRTUS AUGUSTI, round an image of Virtue.

The pricipal fymbols of the divine attributes to be met with on the Greek medals are as follow:

1. Jupiter is known on the coins of Alexander the Great, by his eagle and thunderbolts; but when the figure occurs only on the obverses of coins, he is diftinguished by a laurel crown, and placid bearded countenance. Jupiter Ammon is known by the ram's horn twisting round his ear; a fymbol of power and strength affumed by fome of the fucceffors of Alexander the Great, particularly by Lyfimachus.

2. Neptune is known by his trident, dolphin, or being drawn by fca-horses; but he is seldom met with on the Grecian coins.

3. Apollo is diftinguished by an harp, branch of laurel, or tripod; and fometimes by a bow and arrows. In the character of the Sun his head is furrounded with rays; but when the bust only occurs, he has a fair young face, and is crowned with laurel. He is frequent on the coins of the Syrian princes.

4. Mars is diftinguished by his armour, and fometimes by a trophy on his fhoulders. His head is armed with a helmet, and has a ferocious countenance.

5. Mercury is reprefented as a youth, with a fmall cap on his head, wings behind his ears, and on his feet. He is known by the cap, which refembles a small hat, and the wings. He appears alfo with the caduceus, or wand, twined with ferpents, and the marsupium, or purfe, which he holds in his hand.

6. Æfculapius is known by his busby beard, and his leaning on a club with a ferpent twified round it. He fometimes occurs with his wife Hygeia or Health, with their fon Telefphorus or Convalefcence between them.

7. Bacchus is known by his crown of ivy cr vine, his diadem and horn, with a tiger and fatyrs around him,

8. The figure of Hercules is common on the coins of Alexander the Great, and has frequently been mistaken for that of the prince himself. He appears fometimes as a youth, and sometimes with a beard. He is known by the club, lion's skin, and remarkable apparent firength; sometimes

he has a cup in his hand; and a POPLAR tree, as a fymbol of vigour, is sometimes added to the portrait.

9. The Egyptian Serapis is known by his bufhy beard, and a measure upon his head.

10. Apis is delineated in the form of a bull, with a flower of the lotos, the water lily of the Nile, fuppofed by Macrobius to be a fymbol of creation; and Jamblichus tells us, that Ofiris was thought to have his throne in it.

11. Harpocrates, the god of filence, appears with his finger on his mouth; fometimes with the fiftrum in his left hand: a symbol common to moft of the Egyptian deities.

12. Canopus, another Egyptian deity, appears in the fhape of a human head placed on a kind of pitcher. See CANOPUS.

13. The Holy Senate and Holy People appear frequently on Greek imperial coins, fometimes reprefented as old men with beards, on others as youths.

The goddeffes represented on medals are,

1. Juno, reprefented by a beautiful young woman, sometimes with a diadem, fometimes without any badge, which is reckoned a fufficient diftinction, as the other goddeffes all wear badges. Sometimes the appears as the goddess of marriage; and is then veiled to the middle, and fometimes to the toes. She is known by the peacock, a bird facred to her from the fable of Argus.

2. Minerva is very common on the coins of Alexander the Great; and her buft has been miftaken by the celebrated painter Le Brun, for the bero himself. Her fymbols are, her armour; the ipcar in her right hand, and the aegis with a Medufa's head in her left; an owl commonly flanding by her.

3. Diana of Ephefus is commonly reprefented on the Greek imperial coins; and appears with a great number of breafts, fuppofed to denote univerfal Nature. She is fupported by two deer, and carries a pannier of fruit upon her head. The buft of this goddess is known by the crefcent on her brow, and fometimes by the bow and quiver at her fide.

4. Venus is known by an apple, the prize of beauty, in her hand. Sometimes he is diftin. guithed only by her total want of drefs; but is always to be known by her extraordinary beauty, and is fometimes adorned with pearls about the neck.

5. Cupid is fometimes met with on the Syrian coins, and is known by his infancy and wings. 6. Cybele is known by a turreted crown and tion: or is seen in a chariot drawn by lions.

7. Ceres is known by her garland of wheat, and is common on the Sicilian coins; that island being remarkable for its fertility. Sometimes fhe has two ferpents by her, or is drawn in a chariot by them. She carries in her hands the torches, as if in fearch of her daughter Proferpine.

8. Proferpine herfelf is fometimes met with on coins with the name of zog", or the girl.

9. The Egyptian Ifis has a bud or flower on her head; a fymbol of the perpetual bloom of the inhabitants of heaven. She carries also a fiftrum in her hand.

10. The Sidonian Aftarte appears on a globe

fupported on a chariot with two wheels, and drawn by two horfes.

These are the deities moft commonly represented on the Greek coins. The more uncommon are, Saturn with his scythe, or with a hook on the Heraclean coins; Vulcan with his tongs, on the reverfe of a coin of Thyatira, represented at work in the prefence of Minerva. Adranus, a Sicilian god, is fometimes represented on coins with a dog. Anubis, an Egyptian deity, has a dog's head. Atis is known by his Phrygian bonnet; Caftor and Pollux by a ftar on the head of each; Pluto, by his old face, dishevelled hair and beard, and a hook; Flora, by a crown of flowers; Nemefis by her wheel; and Pan by his horns and ears of a beast.

There are likewife to be found on medals many different SYMBOLS by themselves; of which we subjoin a list, with their SIGNIFICATIONS:

14.

1. Vafes with sprigs, fignify Solemn games. 2. Small cheft or hamper, with a ferpent leaping out, Myftic rites of Bacchus. 3. Anchor, on Seleucian medals, Coin struck at Antioch, where an anchor was dug up. 4. Apollo on Syrian coins, on an inverted hamper, Covered tripod. 5. A Bee, Arifteus, the fon of Apollo. 6. Laurel, Apollo. 7. Reed, A river. 8. Ivy and grapes, Bacchus. 9. Poppy, Ceres and Proferpine. 10. Corn, Ceres. 11. Owl and olive, Minerva. 12. Dove, Venus. 13. Torch, Diana, Ceres, or Proferpine. Mudnis, or conic stone, The Sun, Belus, or Venus. 15. Pomegranate flowers, Rhodes. 16. Owl, Athens. 17. Pegafus, Corinth. 18. Wolf's head, Argos. 19. Bull's head, Bœotia. 20. Minotaur's head and labyrinth, Crete. 21. Horfe's head, Pharfalia. 22. Lion, Marfeilies. 23. Tortoije, Peloponnefus. 24. Sphinx, Scio. 25. Three legs joined, (as in the Ille of Man-money,) Sicily. 26. Horfe, Theffaly. 27. The crefcent, Byzantium. 28. Bull, Supposed to be a river. 29. Enfign, with the letters coL. A colóny drawn from one legion. 30. Bull, Apis, ftrength or fecurity. 31. Caduceus, Peace and concord. 32. Cornucopia, Abundance. 33. Fontifical bat, Pricfthood. 34. Parazonium, Baton of command. 35. Globe on an altar with three ftars, The world preferved by the gods for the three fons of Conftantine I. 36. Fort and gate, Security. 37. Tribuli, a kind of chevaux de frize, Unknown. 38. Altar or tripod, Piety. 39. Dolphin, Apollo. 40. Letifternia, Festivals. 41. Lituus, or twifled wand, Augurthip. 42. Apex, or cap with firings, Pontificate. 43. Thenfa, or chariot employed to carry images, Confecration of an emprefs. 44. Peacock, Ditto. 45. Eagle, Confecration of an emperor.

SECT. X. Of MEDALLIONS, MEDALLETS, &c.

BESIDES the ordinary coins of the ancients, which paffed in common circulation, there were others of a larger fize, which are now termed medallions. Thefe were ftruck on the commencement, of the reign of a new emperor and other folemn occafions; frequently also, by the Greeks in particular, as monuments of gratitude or of flattery. Sometimes they were mere trial or pattern pieces; and thofe abound after the time of Maximian, with the words Tres Moneta on the reverfe. The common opinion is, that all the

Roman

Roman pieces of gold exceeding the denarius aureus, all in filver exceeding the denarius, and all in brafs exceeding the feftertius, went under the denomination of medallions: but Mr Pinkerton thinks that many of these large pieces went in circulation, though not very commonly, as our five and two guinea pieces, filver crowns, &c. do in this country. The fineft medallions were prefented by the mint-mafters to the emperor, and by the emperor to his friends, as fpecimens of fine workmanship. The beft we have at prefent are of brafs, and many of them composed of two forts of metal; the centre being copper, with a ring of brafs around it, or the contrary; and the infcription is fometimes confined to one of the metals, fometimes not. There is a remarkable difference between the Greek and Roman medallions in point of thickness; the latter being frequently three or four lines thick, while the other feldom exceed one. Very few medallions, however, were ftruck by the Greeks before the time of the Roman emperors; but the Greek medallions of the emperors are more numerous than thofe of the Romans themselves. All these pieces, however, are of fuch high prices, that few private perfons are able to purchase them. In the 17th century, Chriftina queen of Sweden procured about 300. In the late king of France's collection, there were 1200; a number formerly fuppofed not to exift; but Dr Hunter's collection contains about 100, exclufive of the Egyptian.

Befides thefe large pieces, there are smaller ones of a fize fomewhat larger than our half-crowns; and by Italian medallifts are called medaglion cini, or fmall medallions. They are still scarcer than the large kind..

There is ftill a 3d kind, which have almoft escaped the notice of medallifts, viz. the fmail coins or mifilia fcattered among the people on folemn occafions; fuch as thofe ftruck for the flaves on account of the Saturnalia; counters for gaming; tickets for baths and feafts; tokens in copper and in lead, &c. These are diftinguifhed by Mr Pinkerton by the name of medallets. Many, or perhaps almost all, of thofe ftruck for the Saturnalia were fatirical; as the flaves had then a licence to ridicule not only their inafters, but any perfon. Mr Pinkerton mentions one of the most common pieces of this kind, which has on the obverse the head of an old woman veiled, with a laurel crown; the reverfe only s. c. within a wreath.

A fourth clafs of medals are called contorniati, from the Italian contorniato, encircled; because of the hollow circle which commonly runs around them. They are diftinguished from medallions by their thinness, faint relief, reverfes fometimes in relief, fometimes hollow; and in general by the inferiority in their workmanship. The opinions of medalifts concerning thefe pieces are very various fome fuppofe them to have been struck by Gallienus to the memory of illuftrious men and celebrated athlete, at the time that he caufed all the confecration coins of his predecefiors to be reftored; others afcribe their invention to Greece, &c. but Mr Pinkerton is of opinion that they were only tickets for places at public games.

Many of them, notwithstanding their inferior workmanship, are very valuable, on account of their preferving the portraits of fome illuftrious authors of antiquity no where else to be found, though fome think much dependance cannot be put on them. They, however, are valuable, as being ancient, and perhaps traditional portraits of these great men.

SECT. XI. DIRECTIONS for MAKING CABINETS.

As the formation of a cabinet must be attended with very confiderable expence, it is neceffary for every one who attempts this, to proportion it to his circumftances. There are, properly speaking, three kinds of cabinets. I. Thofe meant to contain a coin of every fort that has been iffued from the mint in every age and country: but this, which may be called the large and complete cabinet, is not to be accomplished by private perfons. That of Dr Hunter is perhaps one of the beft private cabinets ever known, and coft 23,000l.; but as many duplicates were fold as coft 2000l.; by which means the expence was reduced to 21,000l. The vast collection made by the king of France coft upwards of 100,000l. The fmaller cabinet may be fuppofed to confift only of middle and fmall Roman brafs, English pennies, groats, &c. with a few medals of the more valuable kind, and may be fuppofed to incur an expence of from 200l. to 10ool. The smallest kind is called a casket of medals, and does not confift of above 1000 at moft of various kinds; and confequently the expence muft depend on the pleasure of the proprietor.

The arrangement of a grand cabinet, according to Mr Pinkerton, is as follows;

"I. The coins of cities and of free states in alphabetical order; whether using Greek, Roman, Punic, Etrufcan, or Spanish characters. II. Kings in chronological feries, both as to foundation of empire and feniority of reign. III. Heroes, heroines, founders of empires and cities. IV. Other illuftrious perfons. V. Roman afles. VI. Coins of families, commonly called consular. VII. Imperial medallions. VIII. Imperial gold. IX. Imperial minimi of all metals. X. Imperial filver. XI. Imperial first brafs. XII. Second brass. XIII. Third brafs. XIV. Colonial coins, which are all of brafs. XV. Greek cities under the emperors, of all metals and fizes. In a finaller cabinet they may be put with the Roman, according to their metal and fize. Thofe without the emperor's head go to I. though ftruck in Roman times. XVI. Egyptian coins ftruck under the Roman emperors, of all metals, and fizes. They are mostly of a bafe metal, called by the French PATIN, a kind of brittle brats. XVII. Contorniati, or ticket medals. XVIII. Coins of Gothic princes, &c. infcribed with Roman characters. XIX. Coins of southern nations using uncommon alphabets; as the Perfian, Punic, Etrufcan, and Spanish. XX. Coins of northern nations using uncommon characters, as the Punic and German..

"In the modern part no feries can be formed of copper that will go back above two centuries; but Jequences (chronological feries) of gold and

filver may be arranged of all the different empires, kingdoms, and ftates, as far as their several coinages will allow. Thofe of England and France will be the most perfect. Modern filver is commonly arranged in three fequences; the dollar, the groat, and the penny fizes. The medals of each modern country ought of course to be feparated; though it is beft to arrange each. fet in chronological order, let their fize of metal be what it will."

Thefe directions likewife apply to the forma tion of a cabinet of the fecond kind: but if the collector means to form a series of large Roman brafs, he will find the coins of four or five emperors fo scarce as not to be attainable in that feries, at any price. He must therefore fupply their places with middle brafs, as is allowed with regard to Otho, even in the best cabinets, there not being above three coins of that emperor in large brafs known in the world; whereas of the middle brafs two or three hundred may exist. For this reafon Mr Pinkerton concludes, that in cabinets of the second clafs, the collector may mingle the large and second brafs together as he. thinks proper, in order to fave expenfe; though. it would not do fo well to unite fuch difpropor tionate fizes as the large and small. "In the fmall fequences, however (fays he), there can be no more harm in his mixing gold, filver, and brafs, as chance or curiosity may lead him to purchase any of thefe. In short, the collector has no rules but in the Greek cities and Roman families, to obferve alphabetical order and chronology in every thing else."

local coinage of Magna Græcia; but probably of equa! antiquity with the former.

5. Coins in which a fquare die is used on one or both fides. Of Athens, Cyrene, Argos, &c. Of Alexander F. and Archelaus I. of Macedon. Difufed in the reign of the latter, about A. A. C. 420.

6. Complete coins, both in obverfe and reverse, occur firft in Sicily in the time of Gelo, about A. A. C. 491.

7. Coins of Alexander the Great and his fucceffors. About the time of this hero the Greek coins began to attain to perfection, and were struck of uncommon beauty. It is remarkable, that on the coins of this monarch his own image feldom occurs. After his death many coins bear his por. trait. Trebellius Pollio informs us, that fome coins, particularly those of Alexander, used to be worn as amulets; and many medals are met with in cabinets bored feemingly with that intention.

8. Coins of the fucceffors of Alexander. Those of the Syrian monarchs almoft equal the coins of Alexander himself in beauty. Thofe of Antiochus VI. are fupposed to be the most perfect patterns of male beauty to be met with anywhere. The Egyptian Ptolemies are fomewhat inferior.

9. The coins of the Arfacide of Parthia, done by Greek workmen.

10. The Greek imperial coins being fuch as have the head of an emperor or emprefs; fuch as have not these impreffions being claffed with the' civic coins, though ftruck under the Roman power. None of the imperial coins occur in gold. Of filver there are thofe of Antioch, Tyre, Sidon, Tarfus, Berytus, Cæfarea. Egyptian filver coins

COINS.

THE moft ancient coins, according to Froelich, are diftinguished by the following marks, which he accounts infallible: 1. Their oval circumference and globulous fwelling shape. 2. Antiquity of alphabet. 3. The characters being retrograde, or the first divifion of the legend in the common ftyle, while the next is retrograde. 4. The indented fquare already defcribed. 5. The fimple structure of the mintage. 6. Some of the very old coins are hollowed on the reverfe, with the image impreffed on the front. 7. The drefs, fymbols, &c. frequently of the rudest design and execution.

TABLE I. ANCIENT GREEK COINS. 1. Those without impreffion.

2. With one or more hollow indented marks on one fide, and an impreffion in relief on the other. -Of Calcedon on the Hellefpont, Lefbos, Abdera in Thrace, Acauchus in Macedon, thofe faid to belong to Ægium in Achaia. This clafs continues from about 900 to 700 B. C.

3. With an indented fquare divided into fegments, having a small figure in one of them; the reft blank, with a figure in relief on the obverfe. -Of Syracufe and other places adjacent. Continue from 700 to 600 B. Č.

4. Coins hollow on the reverfe, with figures in relief on the obverfe.-Of Caulonia, Crotona, Metapontum, &c. Suppofed by fome to be a

times bear on the reverse the club of Hercules, or the Tyrian fhell-fish. Thofe of Sidon bear the image of the goddefs Aftarte, or her chariot. Thofe of Cæfarea in Cappadocia are better work than the Syrian. Lycian coins of good workmanfhip: on the reverfe two harps, and an owl fitting upon them. Silver coins of Gelon in Sarmatia, refembling the Syrian. The fituation of this town is very much unknown. It feems to have been fituated on the north of the Euxine fea, where fome Sarmatic or Sclavonic tribes were mingled with the Scythians or Goths. The Greek imperial brafs coins are very numerous. A feries of almost all the emperors may be had from thofe of Antioch, with a Latin legend on the obverte and Greek on the reverfe. Thofe of Bithynia and Phrygia are remarkable for good workmanship. The coins of Tarfus, remarkable for their curious views of objects, almoft in perfpective. Egyptian coins, from Auguftus to Nero, are worse executed than afterwards. From Nero to Commodus they are often of admirable workmanship, and in a peculiar ftyle, diftin&t both from the Greek and Roman. From the time of Commodus, the Egyptian brafs coins of the Roman period are likewife of excellent workmanship, especially in the time of Antoninus Pius.

TABLE II. ANCIENT ROMAN COINS.

The