3rd century BCE. - Lanka
Ruhuna - `Punch Mark' G&H#567 Silver

These earliest known coins were small pieces of metal, generally of silver, punched with Mint marks. The usage of these Karshapana in Lanka is mentioned on inscriptions and the Mahavamsa and Arthashastra which mentions types of coins issued in the 3rd century BCE.

SPECIFICATIONS
AlloySilver
TypeStruck
Height12.2 mm
Width13.6 mm
Thickness2.7 mm
Weight3.07 gms
ShapePentagon
 OBRW_G82_pmc_gh567_obverse OBRW_G82_pmc_gh567_reverse
OBRW G.82; G&H #567

Obverse : Sun (Authority of Magadhan Empire) (GHS #468);
Six arm symbol on Wheel : 3X Arrow - Taurine (GHS #392);
Cresent on three arch hill (partly visible) (GHS #374);(series VIb)
Caduceus (GHS #15);
Elephant facing left towards man with bar bells (GHS #143);
Reverse : Caduceus (GHS #15); and Turine (GHS #475);

These punch-mark coins (PMC) are cataloged with classification proposed by P. L. Gupta and T. R. Hardaker (1985) in Indian Silver Punched-marked Coins: Magadha-marura Karshapara Series, Nasik, as G&H #567, which is listed as an Normal abundance type.

Punch-marked coins from a single hoard of 28 Imperial Punched-marked and 4 Lakshmi plaques found in a Terracotta money box (I.1) found in Akurugodella are illustrated in the 1999 catalog Ruhuna. An Ancient Civilization Re-visited by Bopearachchi and Wickramasinhe (OBRW), G.59-G.86 Plates 9-11. This coin is Plate Specimens G.82 in this book. Click here for longer discussion and links to other Plate Specimens from this book in this collection.

Text from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency By H. W. Codrington. Colombo 1924
  Page 16 Chapter III Ancient Coins - Edlings - Plate 1

The coin was scanned at 600 dpi and is displayed at 400 dpi. This coin ex: Raja Wickramasinghe, is from part of Lalith Raddella's collection I purchased in 2016 December.