being covered with the lion's skin. The head of Hercules occurs on most of the coins of Alexander the Great, and has been mistaken by some for the portrait of that prince.

SERAPIS, one of the gods of the Egyptians, may be recognized by his bushy beard, and the measure upon his head.

APIs appears as a bull in company with the flower of the lotus, or water lily of the Nile.

HARPOCRATES, the God of Silence, appears with his finger on his mouth, and a cornucopia on his arm. On the Egyptian coins he bears the sistrum in his left hand.

CANOPUS frequently occurs on the coins of Egypt, and may be known by the curious symbol of a human head placed on a vase. This strange representation had its origin in a controversy between the Persians and the Egyptians, in which the latter, by an artifice, obtained the pre-eminence. The story may be found in Plutarch.

JUNO is known by the peacock: when represented as the Goddess of Marriage, she is veiled to the middle, and sometimes to her feet. Her bust is often crowned by a diadem.

MINERVA is depicted in armour, with spear and shield, and frequently in company with an owl.

DIANA. This goddess is known by her usual attributes, the crescent on her brow, and her bow and

arrows; the Ephesian Diana, however, bears a pannier of fruit on her head, and is supported by two deer.

VENUS is often represented quite naked, and frequently with an apple in her hand.

CYBELE wears a turreted crown, and is sometimes drawn by lions.

CERES. The wheaten crown declares this deity. She is often represented drawn by serpents, and frequently appears with a torch in each hand.

Isis is known by the sistrum in her hand, and a flower upon her head.

ASTARTE usually appears in a two-wheeled chariot, drawn by two horses.

The other deities in the Mythology of the ancients are not so common on coins, and may be known by their usual attributes. Vulcan appears with his tongs; Anabis, of Egypt, with a dog's head; Atis in a Phrygian bonnet; Castor and Pollux with a star over each head; Dis with a shrivelled face, and straggling beard and hair; Flora wears a crown of flowers; Pan is horned like a satyr, and Nemesis has a wheel.

There are also many representations of animals and inanimate things, such as vases with sprigs of plants, which are supposed to be symbolical of solemn games. The small chest, out of which a serpent is leaping, is said to relate to the mystic

Coins of Antioch bear the

rites of Bacchus. figure of an anchor. The bee is emblematical of Aristeus, the son of Apollo and Cyrene; the reed, of some river; ivy or grapes, or both, of Bacchus; the owl and olive, of Minerva; the dove, of Venus; the torch, of Diana, Ceres, or Proserpine; and the laurel, of Apollo. The other symbols of various cities and towns will be found in the list of Greek Civic Coins.

The Deities of the Romans are known by their names, which generally appear on their coins. On the early colonial coins, which have commonly the name of the colony either at full length or contracted, the representation of one ensign denotes that the colony was draughted from a single legion; and if there is more than one ensign, it shows that there were draughts on as many legions as there are ensigns. Pinkerton says, that no Roman emperor or soldier appears on their coins with a sword by his side, and that this weapon is never seen upon any pieces struck by the Romans; but his assertion is not correct. There are other symbols which must

Cicero, in one of his Epistles, states that he is in possession of a large sum in coins, with this curious device.

+ The author has in his possession a denarius of Pompey the Great-reverse, a figure armed, but bare-headed, and with a sword by his side, stepping from the prow of a vessel, and receiving a palm branch from the hands of Victory.

not be omitted; namely, the thensa or divine car, which is the mark of consecration of an empress, as is also the peacock. Sometimes the word cONSECRATIO Occurs on coins with these symbols, but many are without it. The eagle marks the consecration of an emperor.

On Greek coins, their kings bear the title of BAZIAEYE, from Alexander the Great downwards; and this is generally found on the Egyptian and Syrian coins, after the reign of that prince. Some of the Greek kings took surnames, as "Saviour," "Just," &c.; but several exist with prouder titles, as OEOY, a God; ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ BAZIAEON, King of Kings, with many others equally vain. On the Greek imperial coins, or coins of Roman emperors, struck in Greek cities, the emperors have the title ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡ. At a late period of the Lower empire, the titles of ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ, or King, and ΔΕΣΠΟΤΗΣ, or Despot, frequently occur.

SECTION III.

GREEK CIVIC COINS.

COINS OF EGINA-VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS OF GREEK SILVER COINS COPPER COINS, WITH THEIR DIVISIONS-GOLD COINS OF SICILY, OF AN EARLY DATE-SMALL GOLD COINS OF CYRENE-GOLD COINS OF VARIOUS CITIES IN GREECE LIST OF COINS OF CITIES USING GREEK CHARACTERS.

THE first coins possessing the least interest are those of Greece: the earliest of these have on one side an indented square, and on the other the rude representation of a tortoise, or turtle, for it is impossible to say for which of these two creatures it is intended. They are supposed to have been struck in the island of Egina, by Phidon, king of Argos, 820 years before the Christian era. This king, as we are informed by the Chronicles of the Marbles of Paros, first taught the Greeks the art of coining money, and there is every reason for supposing that the pieces alluded to were their first essay. The earliest coins of the Greeks are without