( 16 ) 



Among the rarer Sinhalese djmastic coins may be mentioned 

 the Lion Coin and the Setu Bull Coin, examples of both of 

 which are exhibited. To these may be added the very rare gold 

 Lankeswara coin of Vijaya Bahu, lent by P. E. Pieris, Esq., 

 CCS. 



Among the foreign coins may be noted the Roman and Arabian 

 coins, Venetian gold sequins, Portuguese silver tangas or tangams, 

 and gold San Thome coin, the Dutch dukatoons and silver and 

 copper stuivers, and challies minted by various States in the Dutch 

 Confederation. Some of the Dutch copper coins were actually 

 minted in Ceylon, at Colombo, Galle, and Trincomalee. These 

 are marked with the letters C, G, and T, respectively. 



The establishment of the Dutch United East India Company 

 (Ostindische Vereenigde Compagnie, indicated on the coins by 

 the monogram 8^) on the Island of Ceylon dates from the year 

 1655 and lasted until 1802, when the Island was formally ceded to 

 the British (who had occupied it in 1796) by the Treaty of 

 Amiens. 



The copper ingots issued by the Dutch, of the value of 4| 

 stuivers, are a singular form of money. 



The general name applied to the ancient Sinhalese coins is 

 " massa." They appear to date only from the year 1153 A.D. to 

 1296 A.D. 



The common copper coins of the Dutch of small value were 

 called challies, a corruption of the Sinhalese word "salliya" 

 (plural " salli "), meaning money or cash in general. The smallest 

 coin now in use, value half a cent, is still called "tamba-salliya," 

 "tamba" meaning copper. The proper coins of the Sinhalese 

 King during the famous captivity of Robert Knox (1659-1679) 

 were fanams of the size of a spangle. 



Another interesting form of money is aflEorded by the Larins 

 or Flsll-hook iiiouey. These are said to have originated at a place 

 called Lari or Laristan on the Persian Gulf. They were formerly 

 made in the Maldive Islands, and were also in use in Ceylon in 

 Knox's time, anybody being allowed to make them. Portuguese 

 copper tangams were also current. 



Further information on the ancient coins of Ceylon is contained 

 in the well-known memoir by Professor T. W. Rhys Davids " On 

 the Ancient Coins and Measures of Ceylon," published in 1877 in 

 the International Numismata Orientalia (London, Triibner & 

 Co.). 



The ancient beads, coins, and dice discovered at Anuradhapura, 

 Mihintale, and elsewhere have been described and figured by 

 Mr. H. C. P. Bell, C.C.S., the Archaeological Commissioner, in his 



