136 
JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VoL. XVIII. 
The Yen. the Archdeacon asked what the letters " V 0 C " on the 
medal indicated. 
Mr. PiERis said it represented Vereenig de Oost-Indische Compagnie — 
United East India Company. Eeplying to Mr. Fernando, he said he 
did not commit himself to saying these were the only medals granted 
by the Dutch. His words were " no medals appear to have been 
granted," and none were mentioned in the published Memoirs of the 
various G-overnors. He felt constrained to add that, according to 
common talk in the Southern Province, there was a genuine medal 
with a forged name in the possession of a priest at Weligama. 
Mr. White said he would like to know whether in 1682 Ceylon was 
spelt by the Dutch as it was on the medal Ceylon." 
Mr. PiEEiS pointed out that a facsimile of the medal was printed. 
Mr. Ferguson thought that if Mr. Pieris was certain he had a 
correct representation of the medal it might be a matter for inquiry 
whether it was a genuine medal. 
Mr. Pieris quoted authorities in which the medal was mentioned 
(including a will of 1815 which he saw in the Court of Matara*), down 
to within 50 years of the grant. 
Mr. Ferguson said he had no doubt there was such a medal as 
Mr. Pieris described granted, but it was a question whether this one 
before them was the real medal. It might be a case parallel to that 
of the Tooth at Kandy. 
Mr. Perera said that there was a description of medals in the " Ceylon 
Literary Register," vol. II., p. 284, and Ceylon was spelt " Ceilon" in 1686.. 
Mr. C. M. Fernando pointed out how sannas were formerly forged, 
and quoted at length a particular case, where ultimately the accused 
confessed. 
Mr. Ferguson suggested that the name of Ceylon might have been 
added afterwards. 
The Chairman : Might I ask where the original of the medal is ? 
Mr. Pieris : At Matara. 
The Chairman : ^ou have seen it ? 
Mr. Pieris : I have seen it myself. 
The Chairman said it appeared to him there was considerably 
more object in forging sannas than medals. Sannas carried certain 
lands, but he supposed medals carried none. Though his experience of 
sannas was very small and Mr. Fernando's very great, yet the few he 
had seen would not have been very difficult to forge as compared with 
a medal. He was not alluding to the handwriting : that was a trap 
many forgers fell into, but to the thin strip of metal. 
* See the will of Don Bastian Devendra Wijeyndra Bass, Muhandiram, 
dated 9th December, 1815, and filed in Prov. Ct., Matara, Case No. 2,859- 
The testator there refers to this medal as a " breast jewel or medal which 
the testator inherited from his ancestors, who received it as a gift or token 
of honour from H. E. the late Dutch Governor Ryklof van aoens." 
