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



(5) "On the obverse of all (d) My detailed list of coins 

 that I have met with appears at the end of this Paper shows 

 an Emperor's head, but so worn more than sixty varieties identi- 

 that with one or two exceptions fied and described. Especially 

 the features are well-nigh obli- noticeable is the identification 

 terated. In one or two speci- in their exerga of the mint 

 mens a faint trace of an inscrip- abbreviations of Carthage, Tre- 

 tion appears running round the veris, Antioch, Narbonensis, 

 obverse, but hitherto I have not Constantinople, Rome, and 

 come across a single specimen other cibies which had the privi- 

 in which more than one or two lege of striking coins, 

 letters are distinguishable." 



These extracts are, I think, sufficient to show that our coins 

 are not of the same class as those found by Captain Tufnell. 



Now to deal with the exceptions, which seem to be similar to 

 what Capt. Tufnell describes. At Naimana, near Matara, in 

 the Southern Province, a find was made of some 350 coins, 

 hitherto supposed to be Roman. But I am glad to say they are 

 something a great deal more interesting than another find of 4th 

 century a.d., third brass coins, which would at most only add 

 one or two varieties to those already known in the Island. 

 They are in fact an issue struck in imitation of the Roman coins 

 of the 4th and 5th centuries a.d. Whether they were struck 

 in India or in Ceylon there is not much evidence to show. 

 They may be the same as the coins Capt. Tufnell found near 

 Madura ; but, whereas his specimens were all quite illegible, 

 many of these are well enough preserved to admit of detailed 

 description. But before describing them I must explain the 

 sources of my information : — 



(i.) The Colombo Museum possesses seventeen of these 



Naimana coins, 

 (ii.) Mr. Buiiltjens sent for my inspection ten specimens. 



Unfortunately the rest of his collection was carried 



off by burglars, 

 (iii.) Mr. H. C. P. Bell possesses eighty-eight coins of 



precisely the same type as the foregoing, which he 



bought in the Pettah of Colombo, 

 (iv.) Two coins of this type were dug up at Anuradhapura 



during the excavation of the monastery known as 



Toluvila. 



