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



On one specimen Mr. Parker Mr. BL C. P. Bell, the greatest 

 thought the inscription " Raja authority upon Ceylon's epigra- 

 Aba" might be distinguished. phy, saw the same plaque and 



was unable even to identify the 

 marks as letters. 



Mr. Parker recognized varie- Plaques from Mullaittivu, 

 ties. " There are three distinct Mantota s Polonnaruwa, and 

 classes of plaques : (1) Those Anuradhapura , which I have 

 from Tissa ; (2) those from Mul- examined, all show the bull, and 

 laittivu ; (3) those from Anu- if the Tissa specimens were sum- 

 radhapura. The Mullaittivu ones ciently clearly struck, I fancy 

 are distinguished by the bull, they would too. But even if the 

 while the Tissa ones differ in difference does exist, surely it 

 workmanship." only lessens the probability of 



the objects being money. 



Finally, Mr. Parker connects It may possibly be that both 

 the sitting figure with the figure are from a common model, 

 on the reverse of the Polonna- Sedent figures of gods, similar 

 ruwa type coins. to that on the plaques, have 



been found in store. 



Two of these plaques were submitted by Mr. C. D. Vigors 

 to the British Museum, and were pronounced to be probably 

 votive offerings.* 



Mr. S. M. Burrows sent four to Dr. Burgess of the Indian 

 Archaeological Survey, and received a reply as below : — 



" The plaques I have to report are not coins, but are much 

 like the Sati and Pitri plaques (in silver) worn in Rajputana by 

 living relatives to secure peace to the spirit of deceased Satis 

 (wives and mothers) and Pitri s (fathers). They are in fact a 

 sort of charm. Yours bear the figure of some Buddha god- 

 dess, the swastika, &c, and are probably not at all very old 

 objects."* 



This appears to settle the question. As the point appears 

 never to have been discussed in any literature available to the 

 student, perhaps the length of this disquisition may be par- 

 doned. 



* From letters in Mr. Bell's possession 



