Lanka : 8-9th Century
Gold Type I Ada Kahavanu
Chank on ghata (Vase)
The anonymous gold Type I Ada Kahavanu - Chank on ghata (Vase) from
8-9th Century Lanka. Codrington Ada Type I. The crown on the reverse
resembles the helmet of the "seated horseman" at Isurumuniya,
Anuradhapura.
| SPECIFICATIONS |
| Denomination | One Kahavanu |
| Metal | Gold 0.?? |
| Alloy | Ag%Cu 0.?? |
| Type | Struck |
| Diameter | 14.7 mm |
| Thickness | ?.0 mm |
| Weight Std. | 2.27 gms |
| Weight | 2.14 gms |
| DieAxis | ?° |
| Compartments | 10 |
|
| 
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| Codrington 55 ; OMRS-25
|
Obverse : A Standing figure Kuvera, head to right, with
Nose, mouth and eye shown; crown, a semicircular line from top to back
of head, ending at the bottom in a thickened line. The right arm is
pendent. The left arm is bent with forearm at right angles to body,
holds a ghata (Vase) on which a chank. Compare with
Kahavanu Type I B(1). Legs bent right, dhoti (garment),
indicated by the curved line on either side. No line between the
legs. To left outside arm, a standing lamp. To right, a squat fire alter.
A beaded circle along the periphery of the coin.
Reverse : In A beaded circle Nagari legend Sri Lamka Beneath to left a
quatrefoil, to right, a smaller ka the meaning of which is not clear.
This Ada Kahavanu is the Plate Specimen #55 in Codrington's Ceylon Coins and Currency, and
was in the Colombo National Museum Collection. It was
stolen
on 2012 March 19th and now claimed to have been melted.
The Kahavanu photographed at about 2300dpi and displayed at 450dpi.
The digital image was obtained from Colombo National Museum.