162 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIX. 



of coins that make Ceylon so interesting a field for the collector. 

 These may be roughly divided into three classes : — 



(i.) Native, unmarked by letters or by any form of device 

 by which the date can be at all accurately ascer- 

 tained. , 



(ii.) Native, bearing the name of the king who struck 



them, 

 (hi.) Foreign. 



(i.) includes eldlings or punch-marked coins, which are the 

 earliest form of coins known in India and Ceylon, and which 

 continued in use for a very long period of time. 



Up to what date these eldlings remained in circulation is at 

 present uncertain ; but information recently available indicates 

 a considerably later period than had been believed likely. 

 Possibly they may have survived even until the 11th or 12th 

 century a.d. Besides the eldlings, there are various copper 

 coins which circulated in very early times, but which cannot 

 be definitely ascribed to any particular king or even dynasty. 



Larins too, though of a much later period than these others, 

 must also be included in this class (i.), for they bear no inscrip- 

 tions which fix their date, and although of foreign type were 

 undoubtedly in many cases struck locally. 



(ii.) includes a small class of coins, found in gold, silver, and 

 bronze, which were struck by the kings of Ceylon in the 

 Polonnaruwan period ( 1 2th and 1 3th centuries a.d . ) . They are 

 ail similar in type, and each bears the name of a king or queen. 



(hi.) is by far the largest class, and includes coins of various 

 Indian dynasties, of the Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Vene- 

 tians, English, &c. But of all these, the earliest that bears 

 writing is the Raja Raja copper coin of the 11th century a.d.. 

 save only the Roman coins which form the subject of this 

 Paper, and which were struck in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries 

 a.d., chiefly in the 4th. 



So from the beginning of Sinhalese history up to the 11th 

 century a.d. the only coins found in the Island which can be 

 accurately dated are the Roman issues. When it is added they 

 have been found in considerable quantities and in a variety 

 of places widely apart, their archaeological value will be evident. 



