NO. 27. — 1884.] TISSAMAHARAMA ARCHAEOLOGY. 



57 



The three oblong coins first described were found in the 

 potters' working-place, and not at the houses occupied by 

 the other work-people. From this it may be inferred that 

 they belonged to the potters, or, at any rate, that the two 

 oldest of them did. Proof that these potters possessed such 

 money has been obtained by the discovery of two accurate 

 drawings of the symbol on the reverse side of the coins, 

 scratched on two fragments of pottery taken out of the 

 lowest stratum. I think that there cannot be much chance of 

 error in assuming this symbol to be a representation of the 

 royal seal or mark (lakuna) of the time ; but what it really 

 meant originally will probably never be known. Is it 

 possible that the central vertical line, with its cross-bar, the 

 svdsti monogram, can be intended to represent the symbol 

 on the royal standard, while the four lateral verticals sym- 

 bolise the four descriptions of troops surrounding it — 

 elephants, chariots, cavalry, and foot-soldiers ? This seems 

 far-fetched, but 1 am unable to suggest any better expla- 

 nation. I may mention here, as an interesting fact in 

 connection with these coins, that two accurate copies of 

 the symbol are to be found on the rocks at Gal-lena Wihara, 

 in the North-Western Province. There are five inscriptions 

 on the rocks, all purporting to be cut by Tissa, son of the 

 Maharaja Gamani Abhaya. The symbol is cut at the end 

 of two of these, together with another unexplained mark. For 

 purposes of comparison I give sketches of all of these seals 

 or diagrams : — 



On coins Nos 1, On coin No. 4, On pottery. On rock at 



2, 3, 5. Gal-lena. 



Dr. Miiller has stated that the Gal-lena inscriptions at 

 the end of which the marks are cut, are of considerably 

 later date than another one of the five, which he has trans- 

 cribed and translated (Ancient Inscriptions in Ceylon, text, 

 p. 25), and which apparently belongs to Mahacula Tissa, 

 son of Wattagamini. Without entering into this (although 

 the existence of this mark after them renders it unlikely 



