CuAr. v.] 



WOEKING IN METALS. 



461 



tion of the gold pieces struck by the kings of Ceylon, 

 which they found in circulation on their frequent visits 

 to the emporium at Galle ^ ; but of these only a few very 

 rare examples have been preserved, one of which bears 

 the effigy and name of Lokaiswaira ^, who usurped the 

 throne during a period of anarchy about A. D. 1070. 

 Nimibers of small copper coins of the eleventh and 

 twelfth centuries have from time to time been dug up 

 both in the interior and on the coast of the island.^ A 

 quantity of these which were found in 1848 by Lieu- 

 tenant Evatt, when in command of a pioneer corps 

 near the village of Ambogamoa, were submitted to 

 Mr. Vaux of the British Museum, and prove to 

 belong to the reign of Wijayo Bahu, a.d. 1071, Pra- 

 krama 1., a.d. 1153, the Queen Lilawatte, a.d. 1197, 

 King Sahasamallawa, a.d. 1200, Darmasoka, a.d. 1208, 

 and Bhuwaneka Bahu, a.d. 1303. These coins have 

 one and all the same device on the obverse,— a rude 

 standing figure of the Eaja holding the insula in his 

 left hand, and a flower in the right. His dress is a 

 flowing robe, the folds of which are indicated rather 

 than imitated by the artist ; and on the reverse the 

 same figure is seated, the name in Nagari chai'acters being 

 placed beside the face.^ 



The K:indyans, by whom these coins are frequently 



^ Woo hed p'een, " Records of tlie 

 Ming Dynasty," a.d. 1522, B. Ixviii. 

 p. 5. Suh Wan Men timg kaou, 

 " Antiquarian Researches, " B. 

 ccxxxvi. p. 11. 



^ Two gold coins of Lokaiswaira 

 are in the collection of the Britisli 

 Museum, and will be found described 

 by Mr. Vaux in the IGth vol. of the 

 Numismatic Chronicle, p. 121. 



3 There is a Singhalese coin figured 

 in Daty's Ceylon, p. 245, the legend 

 on which is turned upside down, but 

 when reversed it reads, " Sri Pa-ra- 

 kra-ma Balm." 



'^ Numismatic Chronicle, vol. xvi. 

 p. 124. 



