IN SOUTHERN INDIA. 
187 
mens in the island, but never one in India, and Mr. Eliys 
Davids in his excellent notice of the "Coins and Measures 
of Ceylon " in the Numismata Orientalia places it among 
those peculiar thereto. The other to which I allude, he 
describes as follows : — "It is half an inch in diameter, has on 
the obverse the bust of Victoria surrounded by the legend 
VICTOEIA D.G. BEITTANIAE. EECINA F.D., and on 
the reverse the figures 1^ and the date 1842, sunnounted 
by a crown and surrounded by a wreath. This little coin, 
seldom met with in Ceylon, is beautifully executed and was 
struck in England." This description so exactly corresponds 
with that of the Igc?. of the " Maunday " money, that I can- 
not but think that the specimens alluded to belong to that 
series or to an issue of this silver piece, still to a certain 
extent, in circulation in Malta, as a fraction of Sd., which 
sum appears to be the most usual charge for all small 
commodities and services in Valetta. 
There only remains to be mentioned the series of copper 
coins now current in the island, where the decimal system 
has been introduced since 1870. No rupee peculiar to 
Ceylon has been struck, but pieces of the value of 5, 1, | and 
J cents are peculiar thereto, one hundred cents being equiva- 
lent to one rupee of the Indian system. These coins bear on 
the obverse the Uueen's head to the left with VICTOEIA 
above and QUEEN below in an ornamental border. On 
the reverse appears a palm tree, while in the field we have 
on one side -QS (5 Z) 2_/? (5 cents, Sinh.) and on the 
other (T^s^^La (5 cents, Tam.), the border containing the 
word CEYLON with the value of the piece. 
Passing thence across Adam's Bridge to the main land, 
we have to consider shortly the issues of the English, the 
now paramount power in this country; but, before doing 
so, must take a hasty glance at the period of history that 
marked the first appearance of that power in the East. The 
close of the sixteenth century may be said to have witnessed 
