No. 58. — 1907.] EARLY COPPER COINS. 



209 



type, in that it shows a female figure and a swastika on the 

 obverse and reverse respectively. 



A similar specimen was found in Kiribat Vehera. Before 

 proceeding to weigh the evidence in favour of these plaques 

 having actually been money, I will quote an authoritative 

 definition of what money is. 



Mr. W. S. W. Vaux of the British Museum, in a Paper read 

 before the Numismatic Society,* thus defines money : — 



" I understand by ' money,' a certain measure of value, 

 whether in metal or not does not matter, though obviously 

 metal and precious metal would be most frequently used as 

 the substance, adjusted to a certain definite and unchanging 

 weight, and consisting of several sizes (so to speak), themselves 

 multiples, sub-multiples, or aliquot parts of some other 

 piece." 



This is the theory. In practice coins of primitive manu- 

 facture vary somewhat in weight. And of course use and 

 wear carries the variation further, until we get a considerable 

 latitude of weight among coins, which when struck new 

 possibly did not vary 10 per cent, in all. For an instance of 

 this it is only necessary to turn back to the description given 

 of the circular double-die coins, where a maximum variation 

 of 31J per cent, and a minimum variation of 4J per cent, from 

 the original dwipana of 288 grains may be observed. This is 

 not a larger divergence from the original than is to be expected 

 in the worn condition of these coins. 



Twenty plaques of the ordinary type (A i. and ii.) taken at 

 random weigh as follows : — 



67 grains 

 60 ,, 

 55 „ 

 52 „ 

 46 „ 



44 grains 

 44 „ 

 41 „ 

 40 ,, 

 39 



37 grains 

 36 „ 

 35 „ 

 31 „ 

 30 „ 



30 grains 

 27 „ 

 23 „ 

 20 „ 

 16 



showing a divergence of no less than 76 per cent, between 

 the maximum and minimum. Even were the plaques worn, 



* " On the Coins of Ceylon, with some Remarks on the so-called Ring 

 and Fish-hook Money attributed to that Island," by W. S. W. Vaux, 

 M.A. Numismatic Chronicle, 1853. 



