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JOUENAL, E.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. VIII. 



Reverse. — Indistinct, but part of the monogram is visible. In 

 space to left, the vase with B6-tree, apparently consisting of two 

 shoots, each branching into two. In right space, the humped 

 bull, sitting facing swastika. No border. R. Massie, Esq., CCS. 



Fragments from Sittrdwila. 



(6) About half the coin only ; '54 inch long, *49 inch wide. 

 The king is evidently standing, on the obverse , and he appears to 

 be holding something in his right hand, which may perhaps be a 

 javelin. His legs are well apart. On the other face there is the 

 swastika portion of the royal monogram, or seal. The design 

 was opposed to that on the obverse. 



(7) Rather more than half the coin ; '76 inch long, '50 inch 

 wide. On the obverse the upright figure of a man, grasping in 

 his left hand a staff, which may be the shaft of a javelin. No 

 clothing discernable. Feet and right arm cannot be defined. On 

 the reverse nothing can be distinguished. 



Some doubts have been expressed as to whether the copper 

 plaques are really coins. I am content to base my identification 

 of them as coins, firstly, on the invariable presence of the swastika 

 on the reverse, formed into a symbol which accompanies an in- 

 scription purporting to be cut by royal authority (whether it 

 really is so or not is of no consequence in this argument) ; 

 secondly, on the presence of the four letters on one of the 

 Magama coins, forming, as I believe, the name of the king under 

 whose authority the plaque was issued ; thirdly, on the presence 

 of the religious emblems on these northern coins, emblems which 

 are commonly found on Indian coins. The Bo-tree (without the 

 vase, which of course is a distinctive mark of the Ceylon origin 

 of these coins) is stamped on coins of Eran, and the bull is char- 

 acteristic of South Indian coins. Even in our own country, no 

 one is permitted to make use of the royal arms without express 

 authorisation ; and there is no warrant for assuming that the 

 autocratic early rulers of Ceylon ever allowed their subjects this 

 privilege. 



The Mulleittivu coins are particularly interesting on account of 

 the presence, at the same time, of the Buddhist and Hindu sacred 

 symbols. When we read over the particulars contained in the 

 Mahavaihsa regarding all the early Buddhist kings of Ceylon, there 

 appears to be no one who so favoured Hinduism as to be likely to 

 impress a representation of the animal sacred to Vishnu beside 

 the sacred Bo-tree. The only man, in early times, who can be 

 selected as possessing a character in strict accordance with the 

 design on these coins is Elara, the great Tamil King (205-161 



