Fig. 235.
ANCIENT COIN WITH
SWASTIKA.
Gaza, Palestine. Waring,
“Ceramic Art in Remote
Ages,” pl. 42, fig. 6.
Swastika on coins in Mesembria and Gaza.—Mr. Percy Gardner, in his article, “Ares as a Sun-god,”[243] finds the Swastika on a coin of Mesembria in Thrace. He explains that “Mesembria is simply the Greek word for noon, midday (μεσημβρία).” The coins of this city bear the inscription ΜΕΣ
, which Greg[244] believes refers by a kind of pun to the name of the city, and so to noon, or the sun or solar light. The answer to this is the same given throughout this paper, that it may be true, but there is no evidence in support of it. Max Müller[245] argues that this specimen is decisive of the meaning of the sign Swastika. Both these gentlemen place great stress upon the position which the Swastika held in the field relative to other objects, and so determine it to have represented the sun or sunlight; but all this seems non sequitur. A coin from Gaza, Palestine, ancient, but date not given, is attributed to R. Rochette, and by him to Munter ([fig. 235]). The Swastika sign is not perfect, only two arms of the cross being turned, and not all four.
Fig. 236.
GOLD BRACTEATE
WITH JAIN SWASTIKA.
Denmark. Waring,
“Ceramic Art in Remote
Ages,” pl. 1, fig. 9.
Swastika on Danish gold bracteates.—[Fig. 236] represents a Danish gold bracteate with a portrait head, two serpents, and a Swastika with the outer ends finished with a curve or flourish similar to that of the Jains ([fig. 33]).
There are other bracteates with the Swastika mark, which belong to the Scandinavian countries.[246] Some of them bear signs referring to Christian civilization, such as raising hands in prayer; and from a determination of the dates afforded by the coins and other objects the Swastika can be identified as having continued into the Christian era.