I ARRIVED in Colombo, Ceylon, in March, 1890, and whilst resident in
the Colony, for upwards of two years, endeavoured to obtain specimens
of coins of local interest.
I inserted a standing advertisement in the most widely circulated
daily newspaper, visited places where coins might be likely to be
picked up, employed natives to make inquiries for me, and communicated
with all whom I believed to be in a position to help me.
As a result I have secured a considerable number of coins and tokens
which were before unpublished, and I submit my notes embodying the
information which I was able to obtain.
I am greatly indebted to many friends for information most kindly
furnished respecting the various issues of Ceylon coins and tokens;
without their assistance indeed I could not have recorded many
interesting particulars of regal and local issues
I wish I could have dealt more exhaustively with the early Ceylon
coins, and those of the times of the kings of Kandy, and, in fact,
with Ceylon numismatics up to the time of Portuguese rule. But I find
that I cannot attempt this. I have not sufficient knowledge of the
characters and languages on coins of those times--and what has been
already written is in many eases so full of conjecture as to be
misleading rather than helpful. Thus much I can gather from local
investigation; but while I feel that all statements previously made
are not equally borne out by coins, I am unable at the present time to
offer solutions which might be accepted as sound or final.
Original inaccurate assertions repeated in subsequent works, do so
much harm that it is advisable to be very sure indeed of any statement
submitted.
In the course of my experience as a collector in Ceylon it naturally
happened that rare coins, or sometimes coins of types not before met
with, would come under my notice. I have sometimes been told that
these were forgeries, but careful investigation convinced me that this
was rarely the case.
In truth, in Ceylon, modern forgeries of old or rare coins are seldom
seen. There may have been, and doubtless were, contemporary forgeries,
such as existed in almost all countries, but I only met with these in
the series of the silver Fish-hook money of two hundred and fifty
years ago, and in that of the gold star Pagodas of a century ago, and
these being more rudely struck than the genuine pieces could hardly
escape detection.
I am inclined to think that great harm is sometimes unintentionally
done by lightly condemning coins as false.
Some Ceylon coins are cast--notably coins of the beginning of the
present century--but I believe that these are genuine, just as are the
cast coins for the Isle of Man of the early part of the eighteenth
century--casting" might be resorted to as a convenient local mintage
operation.
Nearly all the coins I collected were sold to me at metal value; some
account will be given as to where they were found or obtained. Very
frequently the silver coins would be burnished up or burnt in the fire
to clean them, and thereby rendered almost worthless, and I found it
most difficult to make natives understand that they must be brought to
me without being thus cleaned and polished.
The modern forgeries arc most easy of detection; a few in one batch
came to me from Matale in 1891, when I was staying at Kandy. The man
who brought them was in a great fright on indignation being expressed,
and I saw no more of these nor of any other false coins until I went
down to Colombo a few months later, and there I found the same, or a
similar lot, palmed off on the manager of a leading hotel. Similar
coins were also hawked about near the landing place. When taxed with
the attempt of trying to sell false coins (and there is other
manufactured rubbish exposed for sale with these) the hawkers make the
ready reply that they were only intended for ``passenjare gentlemen.''
It is hoped that ``passenjare gentlemen'' who are not judges of coins
will not in future become purchasers, and thus inadvertently encourage
these cheats, and, worse still, cause rare and genuine Ceylon coins to
be received with discredit.
[ Introduction on colonial coins & Tokens omitted ]
In remote times there seem to have been no strict rules regulating the weight of individual. coins. It may have been that a certain fixed quantity of metal was given to the mints for a definite number of coins, but whether: from variation in the thickness of the blanks or from some other cause it is a fact that Ceylon coins of the same date and mintage vary greatly in weight.
1. I do not propose to treat of possibilities and probabilities as regards the more remote issues, but rather to submit simple notes of such coins as have been brought to me in Ceylon, leaving for future study and discussion all the earlier native coinages.
2. The earliest coins found in Ceylon, of ascertainable date, are
Roman.
I have in my collection rough uninscribed coins, probably struck in
Ceylon, which may be of earlier date than these, just as our British
uninscribed coins are of earlier date than Roman coins dug up in
England; but I do not attempt here to treat of these difficult and
doubtful points. A thick rectangular uninscribed silver coin, with a
Dagoba on one side and a leaf on the other, is of good relief and
design. The weights of my two specimens are 77 grains and 83 grains
respectively [Pl. VIII. 1].
3. In the Numisrnata Orientalia, Part VI., by Mr. T. W. Rhys
Davids, [Published by Messrs. Trubner & Co., 1877.] there will be
found much interesting matter respecting the coinage of the kings of
Kandy, a dynasty commencing about the middle of the twelfth century.
I secured five specimens of the Lankeswara gold coinage
[Pl. VIII. 2--5]. These vary greatly in weight, and only three of the
five are approximately the same as those quoted by Mr. Rhys Davids
(65.33 68.5 grs.). He may, however, have made a mistake, as in his
foot-note at page 27 he gives the weight of the current sovereign as
being nearly 170 grains, whereas it is but 123.25 grains. Two of the
Lankeswara in my cabinet are considerably worn and weigh only 54 and
55 grains respectively; the remainder approach the weights which
Mr. Rhys Davids quotes.
My five specimens may be added to the eight mentioned as already
known. They came to me in Ceylon from different places and at various
times.
4. In Ceylon, perhaps more than in any other country, there are found
coins minted elsewhere, and imported for currency. The causes were
changes of dynasties and changes in ownership. When we bear in mind
that Portugal, Holland, and England have each been supreme during the
past four centuries, and that Ceylon has been, and always will be, an
important place of call for visitors to Eastern and Australian lands,
this is not surprising. At the present time there is no mint
established in Ceylon. There are no gold coins in use. The silver
currency consists of the Indian rupee, and 1/2 1/4 and 1/8 rupee
minted at Calcutta or Bombay, and for smaller change there is the
copper Ceylon series, with the palm-tree, consisting of 5 cents, 1
cent, 1/2 cent, and cent, minted at Calcutta.
In the Pettahs, or native quarters of the larger towns, such as
Colombo and Kandy, the Sinhala and Tamils still use extensively the
copper Dutch ``doits'' or ``challies'' and ``half-challies'' of
various dates of the eighteenth century.
5. I have secured but one specimen each of the gold coins besides the
Lankeswara mentioned by Mr. Rhys Davids (op. cit. p. 27), and
these I mostly obtained by the purchase of the entire collection of
Mr. Hugh A. Grant, C.C.S., of Katugastota, near Kandy. Three of these
seem to be unpublished. The limits of weight of these small thin gold
coins are from 8 to 13 grains, and the types are the same as those of
the massas of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
The Raja-Raja copper massa could never have been current in
Lanka. It belongs to Southern India, and no specimen was obtainable
by me in Ceylon.
6. The list given by Mr. Rhys Davids (op. cit. p. 25) of Lanka monarchs who issued coins, is confirmed by my own experience. I found coins in Ceylon of all the kings whom he names. But his notes as regards rarity are inaccurate, and he does not mention some gold and silver coins which have come to me. I attempted to secure every ``find'' of native coins, but of course failed to do so. I obtained, however, over 16,000 coins, including numerous duplicates.
7. Parakrama Bahu, King of Lanka from A.D. 1153 to A.D. 1186.
In addition to the five Lankeswara coins, I obtained two large gold
coins! with a lion on the obverse, of different sizes, but of the same
weight, which may belong to this king. The weight of each is about 120
grains.
Of the copper Lion coin, of which Mr. Rhys Davis says that less than
a dozen examples have been found, I have secured seven specimens, all
varying somewhat. They are mostly considerably worn. It is, however, a
very rare coin. The British Museum has two specimens, one of which
lately came from the collection of General Robley [Pl. VIII. 6].
The massa in copper is common and the statement of Mr. Rhys Davids,
that perhaps one hundred specimens have been found, is very
misleading. Its weight is usually about 65 to 66 grains, but varies
far outside these limits.
The half-massa in copper is rare, and always much worn. The
quarter-massa in copper, which I have, also, is very rare.
I was fortunate enough to obtain silver coins of the massa and
half-massa types of this king. These are unpublished. When they were
brought me I communicated with the best local authorities on such
matters. The general impression was that I might be having forgeries
imposed on me, as no coins in silver of this king had previously been
found; but those who saw the coins, and were informed of their
provenance, believed them to be genuine.
I myself have no doubt that they are genuine. I inquired of the most
trustworthy native silversmiths, men who could have no object whatever
in deceiving me. They said that occasionally, but only very rarely,
such coins had been brought them, and that they were perfectly
genuine, but that they had been usually broken up, as were all silver
coins, for making bangles, &c. They were rarely offered old silver
coins for sale, as silver was much required for other purposes, and as
there were no regular coin collectors in Ceylon. Mr. H. C. P. Bell,
C.C.S., informed me that ho had one or two specimens of similar
appearance in his collection, but had always believed them to be
either silvered over or else copper mixed with tin or zinc. But this
is not the case with mine. I have had a specimen of every coin brought
to me carefully tested, and they are of ``unrefined silver,'' but
without much alloy. Doubt has been expressed as to whether some are
casts, but I think that, even if cast, the coins are genuine. With the
precautions I took, and the investigations I made, I believe no false
coins were ever bought by me.
8. Wijaya Bahu, King of Lanka, 1186--1187.
As regards the copper massa, Mr. Rhys Davids says; ``The coin is
rare--good examples very rare.'' This is a mistake. I have very many
specimens, but possibly all may not belong to the king now named, who
succeeded Parakrama Bahu, and was his nephew. There were several
Wijayas.
I have also two silver massas of this king, and in the Colombo Museum
there are two silver-gilt specimens from an offering-box at
Anuradhapura.
These silver coins, rare as they always are, seem never to be found
together with copper ones, and are taken from dagobas (native .tombs)
and temples. The silver currency in those times was evidently almost
as limited as the gold currency, but both undoubtedly existed, though
specimens of coins which I have obtained have been tardily brought to
light. The three metals were issued nearly simultaneously, and with
gold and copper coinage in Ceylon, it would be remarkable if there had
been no silver issue also.
9. Nissanka Malla, King of Lanka, 1187--1196.
Mr. Rhys Davids (op. cit. p. 32), states that three specimens
of this king's coins are known. I have procured five additional
specimens, only one of which is much injured by decay.
No specimen of this king's coinage has come to me struck in either
gold or silver.
On my sending one of my specimens in copper [Pl. VIII. 7] to
Mr. H. C. P. Bell, Government Archaeologist for Ceylon, he wrote as
follows :--
``The coin is very rare. It reads Kalinga.Lakavara or
something very near it, I fancy. I fear it is hopeless to fix any
particular variant of these conventionally figured coins to a
special king. Who is to choose between Vijaja Bahu I. and III., the
characters being absolutely the same, and not old Sinhala, but
Devanagari of the eleventh and twelfth centuries? We can only hope to
get at the identification by inscriptions on stone and native records,
and these are not communicative on such matters.''
10. Codaganga Deva, King of Lanka, 1196--1197.
I have obtained two specimens in copper [Pl. VIII. 8] of this
previously supposed unique coin, one of which is in very fine
preservation. There is also now one specimen in the Colombo
Museum. Beyond these I have not heard of any specimen being found.
No gold nor silver coins of this king have come to me, nor any
half-massas.
11. Raja Lilavati, Queen of Lanka 1197--1200.
The copper massas of this reign are common.
I have a half-massa in copper; I think unique and unpublished
(Pl. VIII. 9).
I have also a massa in gold. I obtained it from Mr. Wee Loo,
silversmith of Kandy, who said it was found and brought to him by a
native living in the country. The appearance of it is suspicious, but
I think the coin must be genuine. The source from whence it came seems
trustworthy, and I never heard of a second one. The gold is much
alloyed.
I have both double massas and massas of this queen struck in silver;
both are unpublished. The two double massas are thick coins, well
struck, but in rather bad preservation, though the characters are
quite legible.
Some of the massas are rather roughly struck, and these are worn;
others are well struck and in fine preservation. I do not understand
why one variety should appear to have been longer in circulation than
the other.
12. Sahasa Malla King of Lanka, 1200--1202.
The copper massa of this king is common.
I have also massas struck in silver.
13. Dharmasoka Deva, King of Lanka, 1208--1209.
I cannot confirm the statement of Mr. Rhys Davids, ``The coin is very
rare, like that of Wijaja Bahu.''
The coin of Wijaja Bahu is common; that of Dharmdsoka Deva is less
common, but I secured a large number of good specimens [Pl. VIII. 10].
I have also very fine specimens of the massa in silver.
14. Bhuvanaika Bahu, King of Lanka, 1296.
The copper massas are common, but I have met with no half-massas in
that metal.
I have four half-massas of this king struck in gold. The
finder who brought them cleaned them with much energy, in order that I
might clearly see they were gold, and thereby almost ruined the coins.
I have massas in silver of this king. They are of four different
weights and of very poor workmanship as compared with the silver coins
of the last mintage, which was nearly one hundred years earlier.
I have also a single specimen in silver of both the half-massa and
quarter-massa [Pl. VIII. 11]. The workmanship of these is not very
good, but it is better somewhat than the case of the massas.
15. As regards the coins of the above-named kings, I may mention that
I have a fragment of a silver massa, the third of the coin, neatly
cut, doubtless to pass for small change, just as our early English
pennies were quartered sometimes for the same purpose.
I have also a large lump of the copper coins welded together from the
effects of heat and lapse of time. Several other massas which I have
are curious, but being somewhat decayed I cannot decipher them.
16. At Kandy I had a ``find'' of five silver coins brought to
me. With my limited knowledge of Eastern characters I could make
nothing of the inscriptions, but they appeared to me similar to those
on the coins of the icings of Kandy. I sent one of them to
Mr. H. C. P. Bell, Government Archaeologist in Ceylon. He writes, ``It
is a Chola coin--the face on the reverse fixing it at once. All
Chola coins nearly are of that jat. Tracy has it in his cabinet, and I
see classes it as a Chola or Pandyan. He reads `Santara' doubtfully.''
These silver coins are of the size of the half-massa and weigh 42
grains each.
17. I have never found in Ceylon the large or small Setu Bull coin
mentioned by Mr. Rhys Davids on pages 31 and 32 of his treatise, nor
did I meet with the coin bearing the type of a bull and two fishes. I
almost think that I should have secured specimens had these ever been
current in Lanka, because copper coins have not been broken up so
much as those of gold and silver.
I had no specimen brought me in Ceylon of any coin of Raja-Raja.
18. Fish-hook money.
The Fish-hook money, mentioned by Mr. Rhys Davids (op. cit.
p. 33), as current in Ceylon in the seventeenth century, is rare.
I have specimens in gold of two varieties, and in
sliver of ten, varying either as regards shape or the
charac-. ters marked on the coins. I have also many forgeries of the
time when this money was current; these forgeries are of the type
figured by Mr. Rhys Davids, and are of clumsy workmanship; they could
only have passed as genuine amongst the most ignorant inhabitants, if
intended really to pass for silver; but it is just possible, though
hardly likely, that they arc a genuine issue in base metal intended
for small change.
I have a variety of the silver larin of this period simply bent over
in the shape of a loop, with the two ends projecting. The straight
silver larins were probably never struck in Ceylon.
#19. - #42. Colonial Era Coins
#43. Ceylon Tokens
B. LOWSLEY.