No. 58. — 1907.] EARLY COPPER COINS. 



199 



SOME EARLY COPPER COINS OF CEYLON. 



By John Still. 



Archaeological problems may be divided broadly into 

 two classes : Firstly, those which present a great deal of 

 conflicting evidence, often seemingly irrelevant, all of which 

 has to be thoroughly sifted before the rejection of the major 

 part discloses the truth ; and secondly, those which at first 

 sight seem to offer no tangible evidence at all. 



The study of Ceylon's numismatics constantly brings one 

 up against dead walls of this latter description, where one is 

 confronted by questions of considerable historical interest 

 which seem to be almost impossible to solve. 



Perhaps the most important of all these questions is the 

 mystery which prevails regarding the money used by the 

 Sinhalese before the introduction from India of the coinage 

 bearing names. The Mahavansa' abounds with references to 

 money ; but so far as I know there is no existing literature 

 available to the historian or coin collector which throws any 

 light on the nature of this money. 



In the hope of to some extent remedying this lack, I have 

 already written on the subject of the silver punch-marked 

 coins or eldlings and on Roman coins found in Ceylon ; and 

 it is with the same purpose in mind that these somewhat 

 scanty notes on the early copper money have been put into the 

 form of a Paper. 



The materials from which I have drawn my information 

 are the collection of Ceylon coins in the Colombo Museum, the 

 collection in the custody of the Archaeological Survey Depart- 

 ment of Ceylon,* and Mr. H. C. P. Bell's fine private collection. f 

 Mr. C. D. Vigors, too, has been kind enough to help me. 



* Now transferred to the Colombo Museum. 



f I desire here to record my indebtedness to Mr. Bell, who not only 

 put his collection and notes at my disposal, but also assisted me much 

 by his great knowledge of the bibliography of the subject, not only in 

 this but also in former Papers on Coins. 



h 36-07 



