156 CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY* 



for a lion — the -symbol of the Singhalese kings as descendants 

 of the father of Wijeya, the lion born and lion killer, so des- 

 cribed in the fabulous story with which the Mahawanso veils 

 his origin. It weighs 35 grains. 



Annexed also is a representation of a fish-marked coin, No, 

 6 — the same as is described in the Journal of the Bengal Asia- 

 tic Society for 1837 p. 302, fig. 16, as a genuine old coin of 

 Ceylon dug up at Montolle, by which must be meant Mantotte. 

 On one side is a bull or deer (which latter was a symbol of 

 the Budhist priests, who it is said sometimes struck coins in 

 their wihares) and on the other two fishes. The coin is pro- 

 bably allied to that noticed in the Asiatic Researches Vol. 17. 

 p. 592 fig. 81. It weighs 68 grs, 



Annexed also is a representation of the " ridi " No. 7. as 

 given by Dr. Davy* who says " it resembles a fish hook, and 

 is. merely a piece of thick silver wire bent. " This description 

 accords much with the farm, an old coin and money of account 

 in Persia and Arabia of %\ mamoodis. It consisted of a silver 

 w ire, about half an inch in length, doubled up, and flattened on 

 one side to receive the impression of characters. The mamoodi 

 of Gombrori was worth 3d. so that the larin and ridi were in 

 value too almost the same. 



Other ancient coins to be found in the island, but of a dif- 

 ferent class, are those of which the annexed are representati- 

 ons No. 8. They are gold, silver, and copper; but all 

 apparently of the same general description* The gold coins 

 weigh about 6- grs, and the silver coins 5 grs. which is about the 

 1-1 7th of a shilling. My servant found one of these when travelling 

 with me a few months ago on the north coast near to Mantotte. But 

 this is as nothing to the vast number discovered about two years 

 ago in the Patchilapaly district of Jaffna. T he number is supposed 

 io have been about 7009. They were contained in a large blue 



* Davy's Ceylon p. 245' 



