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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XIX. 



money would remain for many centuries without any ? I 

 think it is almost inconceivable that they should do so ; 

 yet it remains to be demonstrated that there was a coinage 

 in circulation. 



Prof. T. W. Rhys Davids* says that coins were unknown 

 in Ceylon in the 4th century a.d., and ascribes to Parakrama 

 Bahu I. the credit for having introduced the art of coining 

 into Ceylon. But he wrote thirty years ago, and had not a 

 tithe of the information we have now, and he mentions 

 neither eldlings nor Roman coins. Nevertheless, the question 

 regarding the currency has never been settled, and it is 

 the light which it throws on this matter that renders the 

 find under consideration so interesting. 



The conclusion I draw from the circumstances of this 

 find is that the punch-marked eldlings were in circulation 

 right up to the time that they were supplanted by the issues 

 of the Polonnaruwan type. In order to give this theory a good 

 chance of acceptance, it will be necessary to enter into 

 considerable detail, and to describe at some length both the 

 coins found and the surroundings of the building in which 

 they were found. I shall take the latter first. 



One mile south of Anuradhapura (the present village), 

 in the midst of paddy fields under the Tissa tank, is situated 

 the rock temple Isurumuniya. At the present time the 

 rock itself, the pansala, and a limited compound comprise 

 the whole area generally recognized as Isurumuniya Vihare. 

 But a very short examination of the neighbourhood is 

 sufficient to show that the old boundaries of the vihare were 

 much wider. 



Some half a mile from the rocks of Isurumuniya is another 

 much larger group of rocks known as Vessagiriya. It is very 

 easily seen that in this case also the old boundary enclosed 

 very much more land than is included in the present archaeo- 

 logical reservation. 



When both of these establishments were in their pristine 

 state they were therefore close neighbours, and not separated, 

 as at present, by half a mile of paddy fields. 



* " Niimismata Orientalia," Ceylon, page 26, section 48. 



