170 



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



came upon a portion of the foundation. This was removed. 

 There were also found two copper coins, one en- 

 tirely worn out and a gold coin worn out on one side, while on 

 the other was shown a man's head from the shoulders upwards. 

 Round it could be traced fragments of letters, obliterated in 

 part, but the first stood out quite clearly as a 0, though the 

 succeeding ones could not be deciphered. The lettering ran 

 quite round, and among them could be traced R, M, N. 



" We are of opinion that the letter C is the initial of the name 

 Claudius, the following letters which were worn out reading 

 Imperator, while R, M, N were clearly meant for Romanov um.^ 



I am of opinion that De Couto was wrong in ascribing the 

 coin to Claudius on such very slender grounds. 



Claudius I. (41-54 a.d.) is styled on his coins " Ti Claudius 

 Caesar Aug. P. M. Tr. P. Imp." Claudius II. (268-270 a.d.) 

 is styled variously " Imp. Claudius Csesar Aug.," " Imp. C. M. 

 Avi. Claudius Aug.," and " Diuus Claudius Gothicus." 

 Not one of these would suit. 



Some of the coins of Constantinus I. would suit the descrip- 

 tion. Add to which we have found several of Constantine's 

 brass coins, and none belonging to Claudius. 



In the Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic 

 Society, vol. I. (3), 73, occurs the following reference to Roman 

 coins : — 



" Sir Alexander Johnston states that in the ruins at the same 

 place [Mantota] a great number of Roman coins of different 

 Emperors, particularly of the Antonines, have been found." 



In the Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic 

 Society, vol. I. (3), 157, in a Paper by the Hon. Mr. Justice 

 Stark, mention is made of " a coin of lead 75 grains in weight, 

 having on one side a Roman head, and on the other an eagle 

 standing on a thunderbolt , as in the Roman Scrupulus . ' ' There 

 is no further information given.* 



Kalpitiya. 



Mr. H. W. Codrington, C.C.S., possesses two small copper 

 Roman coins found at Kalpitiya. He kindly sent them to 



* This sounds like a billon coin, and was probably Grseco-Roman. 



