Description of a Punic Coin Appertaining to the Isle of Gozo, Hitherto Attributed to That of Malta, by the Learned. In a Letter to Mathew Maty, M. D. Sec. R. S. from the Rev. John Swinton, B. D. F. R. S. Custos Archivorum of the University of Oxford, Member of the Academy Degli Apatisti at Florence, and of the Etruscan Academy of Cortona in Tuscany

XXXIX. Description of a Punic Coin appertaining to the Isle of Gozo, hitherto attributed to that of Malta, by the Learned. In a Letter to Mathew Maty, M.D. Sec. R.S. from the Rev. John Swinton, B.D. F.R.S. Custos Archivorum of the University of Oxford, Member of the Academy degli Apatisti at Florence, and of the Etruscan Academy of Cortona in Tuscany. Good Sir, Read Dec 22, THE Punic medal before me (see Tab. XII. n. 4.), of which I send you a short account in this paper, has been published (1) by F. Montfaucon, (2) the Marquis Scipio Maffei, and Sig. (3) Abate Venuti; but not by Paruta and Lasta- (1) Montfauc. Ant. Expl. T. II. par. 2. p. 293. (2) Maff. Veron. Illust. Lib. III. c. vii. p. 259. In Verona, 1732. (3) Ridolfino Venut. Dissertaz. sopra alcun. Medagl. Maltese in Saggi di Dissertaz. Accademich. pubblic. let. nella Nobil. Accad. Etrusc. dell' antichiss. Cit. di Cortona. Tom. I. p. 36, 37. In Roma, 1735. nose, nosa, as Sig. (4) Abate Venuti has been pleased to assert. On one side the head of a woman veiled presents itself to our view, and on the other three Egyptian figures, according to the Marquis Scipio Maffei. 'Tis observable that my medal, as well as that communicated to the learned world by the last mentioned author, exhibits a sort of wings fixed on the hips of the two exterior figures, though nothing like such wings is visible on the similar medal published by Sig. Abate Venuti. M. l'Abbé Barthelemy (5) may be supposed to have had an eye to this coin, when he informed us, "that the god Osiris appears with his attributes on the medals which the Phœnicians struck in the isle of Malta;" and to have considered the symbols on the reverse, whatever they were originally expressive of, as relative to the worship of Osiris which prevailed amongst the Phœnicians in that island. The Marquis Scipio Maffei seems to take the whole type to be Egyptian, and to point out to us some mode of the Egyptian superstition; but Sig. Abate Venuti will have the figure in the middle to be the god (6) Mithra, and the other two worshipers of that deity, each of them seeming to offer a patera to him. Which of these opinions is true, or whether any of them be so, I shall not at present take upon me to decide. That this medal was at first adorned with a short Punic inscription on the reverse, formed of the letters Koph, Lamed, and Nun, and consequently struck (4) Venut. ubi sup. p. 36. (5) Mem. de Litter. &c. Tom. XXXII. p. 737. A Paris, 1768. (6) Venut. ubi sup. p. 37. in the isle of Gavlos, or Gozo, is plainly deducible from the (7) draughts of it published by the Marquis Scipio Maffei and Sig. Abate Venuti. The latter, however, of those draughts approaches nearer the original than the former, with regard to the inscription, though neither of them gives us a perfect representation of the letters the piece exhibits. Of those letters the last only, or Nun, has been preserved entire on my coin, and this is so faint that it is little more than barely visible. Part of the second is just perceptible, and seems to indicate the whole to have been Lamed, as that element appears on the coin of Gozo by me formerly described. The first letter is so totally defaced that not the faintest traces of it can be discerned. I must not forget to observe, that the form of the Nun here is perfectly similar to, or rather exactly the same with, that on the medal of Gozo I have lately explained, though somewhat different from the characters endued with the power of that element on all the draughts of the coins of Gozo that have hitherto appeared. It may not be improper to remark, that the piece I am considering will bring a fresh accession of strength to what has been advanced in (8) one of my former papers, relative to this species of coins, as well as to the Punic or Phœnician name of the people antiently inhabiting the isle of Gozo. I shall forbear at present drawing any other conclusion from the medal before me, or rather from the very faint remains of the Punic characters it has handed down to us, (7) Scip. Maff. & Ridolfi, Venut, ubi sup. (8) Philosop. Transact. Vol. LVIII. Tab. XI. p. 235—245. which are the principal object of my attention here: What has been farther offered by F. Montfaucon, the Marquis Scipio Maffei, and Sig. Abate Venuti, both with respect to the veiled head (9) and the symbols on the reverse, will probably be deemed little better than vague conjectures, scarce meriting the attention of the learned. You will consider this as a small appendix to the paper lately sent the Royal Society on (10) a Punic coin, which I attributed to the isle of Gozo; and believe me to be, with the highest regard, Good Sir, Your much obliged. and most obedient, humble servant, Christ-Church, Oxon. Nov. 10, 1768. John Swinton. (9) Montfauc. Maff. & Venut. ubi sup. (10) Philos. Transact. Vol. LVIII. Tab. XI. p. 235—245.