Century 3rd BCE. to 1st CE - Lanka
Inscribed Lead Token with Cock

This Inscribed Lead token found in Akurugoda is Plate Specimen A.17. illustrated in 1999 book by Osmund Bopearachchi and Rajah Wickramasinhe Ruhuna.OBRW_A17_cock_sanjay_art.jpg An Ancient Civilization Re-visited . Both sides of this token is also used on the cover page of this book.

SPECIFICATIONS
AlloyPb
TypeCast
Diameter17.7 mm
Thickness1.6 mm
Weight2.21 gms
MintRuhuna
 OBRW_A17_OBVERSE OBRW_A17_REVERSE

Obverse : Cock running to right.
Reverse : Legend in Brahmi - ma ha ci ta a po

The coloured Artwork of Jungle Fowl; a realistic representation of the stylised drawing on coin, is by Wildlife Artist Sanjaya Weeratunge.

The text on this particular coin is retranslated and discussued by Pushparatnam in his 2002 book Ancient Coins of Sri Lankan Tamil Rulers, as Coin 4 Figure 6 on page 42, among line drawings of 11 coins from the OBRW Ruhuna catalog.

OBRW_A17_drawing

Click here for longer discussion of items from Ancient Ruhuna and links to other Plate coins from this book in the lakdiva collection.

The specimen was scanned at 600 dpi and displayed at 400 dpi.
It was obtained in 2016 May from Lalith Raddella in Colombo who had purchased a selection from Raja Wickramasinghe.

A modern Replica of this lead token is documented.