A small brass coin of Sidon[162], now in my possession, exhibits on the
reverse three Phœnician letters, that form the word SIDON, over the
prow of a ship, the usual symbol of the city wherein it was struck.
This coin, which is in good conservation, I formerly[163] published and
explained. The characters however in the exergue, which I could then
make nothing of, were not with sufficient accuracy described. This has
induced me to transmit you another draught of the same medal, wherein
proper care has been taken to remedy that defect. The two first of
those characters, though somewhat imperfect, appear manifestly enough
to be _Schin_ and _Tzade_; as the former occurs on the Palmyrene[164]
marbles, and the latter on several very valuable[165] Phœnician coins.
The others so nearly resemble the numeral characters of the Palmyrenes,
that they may undoubtedly be considered as pointing out to us a date.
Which if we admit, the _Schin_ and _Tzade_ will seem to be the initial
letters of the words צה שנת, THE YEAR OF SIDON, or IN THE YEAR OF
SIDON; as the elements _Pe_ and _Schin_ apparently denote שנת פסח, THE
PASCHA OF THE YEAR, or IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, on the reverse of
the famous Samaritan coin of Bologna, published by Sig. Bianconi[166]
not many years since. Nor can the phrase, THE YEAR OF SIDON, or IN THE
YEAR OF SIDON, intimating the year of the proper æra of that city, be
looked upon as repugnant either to the Jewish or Phœnician genius; a
similar expression having been used, both in their writings[167] and
on their coins[168], about the time that the Phœnician medal before
me was struck, by the Jews. That the first of the numeral characters
here stands for TWENTY, we may infer from the correspondent one of the
Palmyrenes, to the form of which it is by no means unlike. This will
likewise be confirmed by the dates preserved on other Phœnician coins,
which will be immediately produced. The next, denoting a lesser number,
and not representing FIVE, which we find always expressed by minute
right lines on the Sidonian medals, must indubitably occupy the place
of TEN. The six following strokes, after what has been just observed,
will be acknowleged to add SIX to the foregoing numbers; so that the
inscription in the exergue will no longer remain a mystery, the whole
only importing, IN THE YEAR OF SIDON XXXVI.