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Ancient Ceylon

 

Ancient Ceylon
Pandyan
Pallava
Roman
Chola
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Sinhalese 12 to15 cent
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Punchmarked coins ] Lakshmi coins ] Elephant Swastika ] Tree and Swastika ] Maneless Lion ] Rectangular Bull ]

The Ancient coinage of Ceylon begins with the Purana Punchmarked coins from the end of the third century and continues with the distinctly Sinhalese Elephant & Swastika to Rectangular Bull coins until the Maneless Lion type, now conclusively identified as from the reign of King Mahasen (A.D. 277 - 304). In our classification, we analyze the Pandyan, Pallava coins separately even though the early Pandyan types, for example, would theoretically belong to the Ancient period.

In addition to the well known Ancient Ceylon coins series described above, a group of locally issued inscribed lead coins, hitherto unknown, that can be dated between the second century B.C. and the second century A.D. has been uncovered from Akurugoda in the Tissamaharma in the Deep South of Sri Lanka  recently. We are in general agreement that these new coins belong to the  Ancient coinage of Ceylon and will be adding a complete section covering these coins to the website shortly.

Please follow the hyperlinks below for the different types and varieties of Ancient Ceylon coins.

Punchmarked coins ] Lakshmi coins ] Elephant Swastika ] Tree and Swastika ] Maneless Lion ] Rectangular Bull ]