No. 58. — 1907.] EARLY COPPER COINS. 



213 



Summary. 



Having discussed all the evidence available, it will be inter- 

 esting to see how it bears on the original problem as to what 

 was the currency in Ceylon prior to the establishment of the 

 coinage bearing the names of kings, which was introduced in 

 about the twelfth century a.d. or perhaps a little earlier. 



Gold we have none. 



Silver is represented by the punch-marked eldlings, which 

 probably were in circulation from the invasion in the sixth 

 century B.C. up to the fifth and perhaps even the tenth century 

 a.d. Probably these ceased to be manufactured many 

 centuries before their final disuse. 



Copper is represented (i.) by the punch-marked coins, most 

 or all of which are probably the cores of coins originally silver ; 

 (ii.) by the single-die coins, of which no specimen even partly 

 legible has yet been recorded, and which may not belong to 

 Ceylon ; (hi.) by the circular copper coinage, which was the 

 result of grouping punch-marks in one die ; and (iv.) by the 

 coins struck in imitation of the Roman issues of the fourth and 

 fifth centuries, which have been described in my Paper entitled 

 " Roman Coins in Ceylon." These are all the money we know 

 of during a period of fifteen centuries. 



As for their dates — 



(i.) The punch-marked coins were, as already stated, used 

 from the earliest historical times up to possibly 1000 a.d. 

 They have been found in company with Pallavar and Kurum- 

 bar coins of about 700 a.d. , and a large number were discovered 

 at Anuradhapura in a fifth century a.d. building. This I 

 have dealt with in a separate Paper called "Notes on some 

 Eldlings." 



(ii.) The single-die coins were coeval with the Roman coins, 

 say the fourth and fifth century a.d. 



(hi.) The double-die circular coins have never yet been 

 determined, but I think light can be thrown on the subject 

 and an approximate date gained. 



Within the dagaba called Kiribat Vehera coins were found 

 during the excavation at various depths. At 28 ft. from the 



