Identity Unknown
Lanka ?

Three ancient copper coins from an unknown era. They were purchased in march 2000 from ebay dealer "antiquitybureau" who identified them as from Ceylon circa CE 824-864. This corresponds to a period of Pandya influence in Lanka under King Sena. I don't find them illustrated in Mitchiner claimed as the source of identification. They don't have the fish and seated bull symbols common to Pandya coppers.

Two of them have now been identified as early Islamic copper coins from Syria. If you can identify the remaining coin below please let me know. The dealer has infomed me that all three coins came from the same source which would appear to indicate that this coin is also from Syria.

A very wide variety of coins have been unearthed recently particularly near Akurugoda in the Ruhuna district in south-eastern coast of Lanka as illustrated and described by Osmund Bopearachchi and Raja Wickremesihe in their 1999 book on the subject.

SPECIFICATIONS
Denomination
Alloycu?
TypeStruck
Diameter17 mm
Weight3.3 gms
Thickness mm
ShapeRound
EdgePlain
DieAxisO°
 _obverse _reverse
Mitchiner #
Obverse : A Lion walking left
Reverse : Head of elephant facing right.

The coins were scanned at 300dpi and displayed at 300dpi. They were purchased in 2000 March from a dealer selling on ebay.

See also
* Oriental Coins: Michael Mitchiner, London, Hawkins Publications, 1978.