No. 58. — 1907.] PROCEEDINGS. 



215 



5. The Chairman said he thought the Papers were of 

 considerable value. Some old opinions were upset, and some were 

 confirmed. Spence Hardy mentioned that in the early laws of 

 Buddhism the difference between coined money and bullion was 

 recognized. He (the speaker) was under the impression that local 

 gold coins had been found in Anuradhapura of an earlier date 

 than the Christian era. Mr. Still, however, said that no Ceylon 

 gold coin was known before the twelfth century. He was sure they 

 had all been interested by the Papers ; and he was only sorry the 

 weather had interfered with the attendance. He hoped that 

 further light would be thrown, by new finds of coins, on the 

 subject — in confirmation or correction. 



6. Dr. A. Nell next proiDOsed a vote of thanks to Mr. Still. 

 In England whenever such a discovery was made there were 

 quite a dozen experts to give their opinions. Unfortunately very 

 few coin experts were to be found in Ceylon. They were indebted 

 to Mr. Still for the results of his researches. He was sure they 

 would join heartily in a vote of thanks to him for his Papers. 



7. Mr. J. Hornell seconded. There was more yet to be 

 brought forward regarding the intercourse of Ceylon with the 

 Romans. It was stated that an old King of Madura had for 

 his bodyguard Greek and Roman mercenaries. That was in the 

 second century ; and gave the suggestion how the Roman coins 

 found their way to India and Ceylon, not to speak of trade 

 between Egypt, Southern India, and Ceylon. 



8. Mr. C. M. Fernando said that, regarding the Roman coins 

 found in Ceylon, Mr. Still seemed to him to attach too much 

 importance to the question of weight. Pliny, in his account of 

 the shipwreck off the coast of Ceylon, said that when the 

 shipwrecked farmer went before the Sinhalese king what surprised 

 the latter most was that all the coins were of the same weight, 

 which showed that inequality in weight in the Ceylon coins was 

 the common thing. The Romans had a military outpost in South 

 India; and may be the Naimana coins were a local coinage at 

 that military outpost. Regarding trade between Rome and 

 Ceylon, cinnamon from Ceylon was sold in the streets of Rome 

 1900 years ago, and was more valuable than rubber in the present 

 day. 



9. The vote to Mr. Still proposed by Dr. Nell was carried 

 with acclamation. 



10. Mr. R. John proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman. 

 Mr. Fernando seconded. — Carried. 



I 



36-07 



