1153-1186 - Lanka
ParakramaBahu I - One copper massa
The extreamly rare copper massa coin of king
ParakramaBahu I.
ParakramaBahu the Great (1153 - 1186), the most outstanding monarch of
the Polonnaruwa Period. A golden epoch of Lankan history.
| SPECIFICATIONS |
| Denomination | massa |
| Alloy | Copper |
| Type | Struck |
| Diameter | 19.44 mm |
| Thickness | mm |
| Weight | 4.20 gms |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| DieAxis | O° |
|
| 
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| Codrington #76 | Mitchiner #
|
Obverse : Traditional Lankan massa design of standing king.
The head consists of an irregular oblong, the right side being
a vertical line, from which projects three horizontal stokes
representing the nose, mouth and chin. The crown bulging
outwards at the back. The two curved lines on either side of the legs
slightly turned upwards at the end indicate a person wearing a
'dhoti', and standing on a lotus stalk with flower to the right. The
forearm is bent sharply down; the hand grasps the hanging lamp. The
right side elbow is curved down with the arm turned upwards
holds a flower presumed to be a jasmine blossom. To the right are
five dots or spheres. A rim of 40 to 43 beads.
Reverse : Traditional Lankan massa design of seated king.
Head and crown as on obverse. Arm is raised upwards and the hand holds a
conch shell. On right Nagari legend Sri Pa ra kra ma Ba hu
In this rare coin the fork in the letter Sri on the reverse is to the
left like in his one eighth massa coin, rather than the right as in
Parakramabahu~ii coin which is one of six fairly common copper massa
coins from the late Polonnaruwa and Dambadeniya era.
I quote from Codrington's "Short history of Ceylon"
since the ancient chronicle Culavamsa becomes too verbose
in this period.
Text edited from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency: H. W. Codrington, Colombo, 1924.
Chapter VI Mediaeval Lanka - Sinhala of 12th & 13th Century - Series II, Page 70
* Culavamsa II Chapter LXXXI: Translation by Wilhelm Geiger. Pali Text Society 1930
The coin was scanned at 600dpi and displayed at 300dpi is from part of
Lalith Raddella's collection I purchased in 2016 December.