Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra43441905roya).pdf/328

 mon on old Portuguese coins. The last three letters XPI, if taken as Latin characters, would be difficult of interpretation. Taken as Greek they would stand for Christ, although they are then more usually written in the form of a monogram ☧, For this interpretation I am indebted to Mr. Robert Sewell, M.R.A.S., who in January last passed through Singapore and kindly examined the coin.

The inscription on the reverse is more difficult to read, the last few letters especially being much worn on all five coins. The letters seem to be SMPRDEPV SORDIEM. The first four characters I take for an abbreviation for 'semper.' The next seven letters may stand for 'Depulsor,' the letter 'l' being omitted or being covered by part of the device, viz. the pro- jecting axis of the globe. The word 'Depulsor' occurs in a few Latin inscriptions, as an epithet of Jupiter, the averter of evil. The last four or five letters are very indistinct. 'Diem' would hardly give any sense, and I am inclined to think that the inscription should read something like 'Semper Depulsor Deus'.

The other variety (see figs. 2 and 2a) of which there is only one specimen, is of an unusual shape, the diameter of the obverse being 37 mm., but that of the reverse 35 mm. only. giving to the coin the shape of a truncated cone, and this ap- pearance is heightened by the sharp edges of the coin. Its thickness is 6.5 mm. and its weight 45 grammes. The coin fur- ther differs from the first variety by the shape of the cross, the outlines of its arms being not parallel to each other, but converging towards the centre, and by the sphere on the reverse being somewhat smaller. The inscription, however, on the two varieties.

Very similar to these is a much smaller coin (sec figs. 3, 3a, 4 and 4a), also of tin, 24 mm, in diameter, 15 min. in thickness and 4.1 grammes in weight. It again shows the usual devices of the cross and the sphere. The reverse bears no inscription, whilst the obverse has the words NOSTRAE SPES VNICA, resembling thus the above described large coins by another, almost incredible, mistake. The word 'crux' is omitted, but may be understood from the figure of the cross in the middle of the inscription. There were three specimens of this coin.